Insect burgers go on sale in Swiss supermarkets

Swiss shoppers will soon be able to buy burgers made from insects after the country changed its food safety laws. 

The laws were changed in May to allow for the sale of food items containing three types of insects: crickets, grasshoppers and mealworms, which are the larval form of the mealworm beetle.

The burgers, made by Swiss startup Essento, are made from mealworms and also contain rice and vegetables such as turnip, celery and leeks, as well as oregano and chilli, while the company's 'insect balls' combine the mealworms with chickpeas, onions, garlic and spices. 

The production of the insect products was initially postponed because no approved imports were available. They will now be sold in seven branches of a major Swiss supermarket chain from August 21.   

Insects "have a high culinary potential, their production saves resources and their nutritional profile is high-quality," said Essento co-founder Christian Bärtsch.

"Thus insects are the perfect complement to a modern diet."

According to Swiss law, the insects must be bred under strict supervision for four generations before deemed suitable for sale. Hence, local production will take a few months to get started.

Moreover, imports are under strict conditions and the insects must be raised in accordance with Swiss requirements at a  a company submitted to inspections by national food safety authorities.