Singapore’s House of Seafood restaurant is gaining attention for adding insects to its menu after receiving approval from the city-state’s food authority. Recently, the food authority approved 16 types of insects, including crickets and grasshoppers, for human consumption. This decision follows a detailed review of food safety regulations that previously banned such ingredients. As a result, the House of Seafood is now offering unique dishes like fish-head curry with crickets and tofu with bugs, which has attracted considerable interest from customers.

The restaurant has introduced a menu featuring 30 insect-based dishes, available as free samples until official import approvals are secured. The House of Seafood aims to demonstrate the varied uses of insects, which are rich in protein and could assist Singapore in meeting its target of producing 30% of its nutritional needs locally by 2030. Food security expert Paul Teng supports this initiative, suggesting that insects could provide a sustainable protein source if consumer doubt is overcome. The United Nations also supports the idea, recognizing insects as a potential solution for global food security issues. However, insects must be farmed in controlled environments to ensure safety. Despite being pricier than traditional foods, local interest in insects is growing. The challenge will be to see if insects will become a regular part of the Singaporean diet or if interest will decline.