Italy bans production and sale of artificial meat
Italy has banned the production and sale of meat grown on the land, which demonstrates the determination of the right-wing government of Giorgia Meloni to protect national culinary traditions.
The law passed by the parliament also prohibits the use of terms describing plant-based products as meat. Earlier this week, Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida supported the decision, adding that he hoped the European Union would introduce similar rules, Ansa news agency reported.
Cultured, or cellular, meat is created by harvesting cells from live animals and providing them with nutrients to grow in bioreactors before eventually becoming a ready-to-eat meat product. The EU has not yet approved the sale of lab-grown meat, and only Singapore and the United States have given the green light. The biggest challenges for the nascent industry are gaining regulatory approval and scaling up.
The European Good Food Institute, which represents the alternative protein industry, criticized the Italian ban.
“This bill not only deprives consumers of choice, but also isolates Italy from the investment and job creation offered by this growing industry,” said Francesca Gallelli, public affairs consultant at GFI Europe.
