Roig launches insect protein bar company and social media erupts

Insects on the menu: Roig's new company that is setting social media alight

As of the time of writing, the only solid proof of the launch is the noise it has generated. A company linked to businessman Juan Roig, owner of Mercadona, is reportedly preparing to roll out protein bars made with insects. The reactions, in any case, have come before the product: some are demanding a halt to what they see as a risk to public health, while others dismiss it as a simple unconfirmed marketing stunt.

Food safety as a battleground

The most forceful messages call for a health alert to be triggered before the bars even reach the shelves. On the opposite side, critical voices point out that the EU requires insects intended for human consumption to undergo prior authorisation as a novel food. Once approved, these species can be produced safely; but the fight over labelling and transparency remains open, and distrust spares no one.

The E-120 detail: insects people already eat

One of the most awkward contributions to the visceral rejection comes from the crimson red colouring E-120. That additive, used in yoghurts, soft drinks and sweets, comes from cochineal, a crushed insect. Anyone horrified today at the idea of eating crickets has probably already ingested cochineal without knowing it. The border between the appetising and the disgusting is, at the very least, porous.

A brand suspected of being smoke and mirrors

It is not all about disgust. Another part of the comments questions who is really behind the project: "Roig doesn't launch anything", they claim, pointing to hypothetical Mercadona community manager teams behind the campaign. The lack of official confirmation fuels reasonable doubt: the product has not yet been seen on a shelf, and the businessman's name is on everyone's lips with neither denial nor confirmation.

The big question, therefore, is not only whether the bar will taste good: it is whether the company exists, whether it will reach stores, and whether consumers will decide to try it. Meanwhile, the mere rumour has turned this insect into the best-placed ingredient to star in the next food controversy.