Are bugs crawling into our food supply, or is this just an internet conspiracy theory gone wild? From “sustainable protein” to whispers of a hidden agenda, it’s time to explore the environmental arguments and the secret push to normalise bug consumption.

If you’ve spent time navigating the political corners of the internet, then you’ve likely stumbled upon the proclamation that governments are trying to modify our food. And they’re not just talking about the already used insects an as red food colouring. But instead they mean secret crushed up insects as sources of protein which are apparently being used in our food as an effort to “save the planet.” This narrative has even spawned trends online, with some adopting phrases like “you will eat ze bugs” to mock opposition.

Adam Mason from Middlesbrough (not his real name but I can reveal he’s a medical professional), insists the ‘left agenda’ will season our suppers with six-legged critters. His prescription? Constant vigilance and maybe avoid the mystery meat pies…

“First it’s hidden stuff like additives, then they go to yoghurt and cheese. Finally, it’s substitute meals, and they’ll target poor families first, give it away cheaply. It becomes their main food because it’s all they can get. Then later, everyone’s eating it like it’s normal.”

But what sparked this conspiracy theory? It seems to stem from increasing EU food regulations that approve insects for uses beyond just traditional red colouring – regulations the UK still follow.

Since January 2018, insects require safety authorisation under EU ‘novel food’ regulations, which apply to foods lacking significant consumption history in the EU before 1997. Yellow Mealworm was first approved (June 2021), followed by Migratory Locusts (2021), House Crickets (2022), Lesser Mealworms (2023) and UV-treated Yellow Mealworm powder (2025). This list keeps growing, allowing ingredients like insect powders in foods such as bread, pasta and cakes.

Mason explains: “It’s the green agenda. They focus on blaming cows for their methane. Billionaires like Bill Gates are pushing insects, so yeah, it feels like they’re trying to make us eat bugs now. The left needs a source of money, a big source of money. So the climate agenda and insect farms will be a whole new industry for them.”

Whilst I haven’t spotted any cricket protein powder down the local supermarket myself, you can buy it online. What’s perhaps more telling, is who’s putting money behind things like this. I went down the internet spiderweb and it turns out the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have funded several insect food projects, and in 2012, gave a $100k grant to ‘All Things Bugs’ to tackle child malnutrition by developing nutrient-dense food from insects.

This interest is partly driven by sustainability: insect farms use less land, water and feed than cattle. They also produce less greenhouse gasses, a combination of benefits that’s hard to swat away. So are we secretly crunching on critters? Beyond their long-standing use in things like red food colouring… probably not. But writing the whole idea off might be hasty. Selling newer insect ingredients is legal here, research is funded and scientists acknowledge potential green benefits. While insect ready meals are not mainstream in shops, it seems there’s more to this conspiracy than meets the fly.