Mealworm farming is growing globally for food and feed. As evidence of insect sentience grows, welfare standards for mealworm production are beginning to emerge.
Mealworm welfare sits at the frontier of animal welfare science. Mealworms are insects; their capacity for conscious suffering remains scientifically contested but cannot be dismissed. Current evidence of nociception and avoidance behaviour justifies precautionary welfare consideration. Key welfare dimensions include appropriate temperature and humidity ranges, adequate nutrition through substrate quality, density management, and humane killing methods. Freezing before processing may be more welfare-positive than heat killing for insects with cold-responsive nociception. Regulatory frameworks in Europe are beginning to include insect welfare provisions as production scales.