Italy moves to ban lab-grown meat to protect food heritage.
Italy's right-wing government has endorsed a bill to prohibit laboratory-produced meat and synthetic foods, emphasizing the country's culinary heritage and health safeguards. Under the proposed legislation, violating the ban could result in fines of up to €60,000 (£53,000).
Francesco Lollobrigida, head of the rebranded ministry for agriculture and food sovereignty, underscored the significance of Italy's food tradition. This move received applause from agricultural lobbies.
However, some animal welfare groups are disappointed, as they view lab-made meat as a solution to environmental concerns and food safety. Coldiretti and other agricultural lobbies have gathered half a million signatures in support of "natural food vs. synthetic food." Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and others have endorsed this initiative.
The proposed bill closely follows a series of government decrees that banned the use of flour made from insects like crickets and locusts in pizza or pasta. The motivation behind both measures has been Italy's prized Mediterranean diet.
Mr. Lollobrigida, affiliated with the far-right Brothers of Italy party, stated that "laboratory products do not guarantee quality, well-being, and the protection of Italian food and wine culture and tradition, to which part of our tradition is linked."
The approved proposals seek to ban synthetic foods produced from animal cells without harming the animals, including lab-produced fish and synthetic milk.
In November, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared cell-cultured chicken for human consumption, and in 2020, Singapore approved lab-grown chicken meat for use in nuggets.
While no approval has been sought from the European Food Safety Authority, it has been suggested within the European Commission that cell-based agriculture, such as cultured meat, "could be considered as a promising and innovative solution for healthy and environmentally friendly food systems."
Italy may not be able to oppose the sale of synthetic meat produced within the European Union once it gains approval due to the free movement of goods and services.
The International Organization for Animal Protection (Oipa) emphasized that lab-produced meat, derived from animal cells, is an "ethical alternative" that does not harm animal welfare, environmental sustainability, or food safety.
However, Paolo Zanetti, the head of the dairy industry group Assolatte, supported the government's decision, stating that milk producers face a paradox as they are encouraged to make their product more environmentally friendly while facing competition from "investors with no scruples" promoting a less natural product under the pretext of environmental protection.
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