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For that detractor, It’s an abomination–“Frankenmeat.” For its supporters, meat grown from animal cells (known as lab-grown meat, cultured meat, and cultured meat) promises to save the planet. It has the potential to reduce the livestock industry’s water consumption and greenhouse gas emissions (approximately 12% of global emissions). Even if lab-grown meat were to simply replace the meat currently fed to pets, it would reduce the need to kill other animals. But it could pose an existential threat to livestock farmers, who are already vigorously protesting in Europe against rising costs, environmental regulations and increased red tape.
inside european union, the debate over cultured meat is heating up. The European Commission is considering whether a ban introduced by Italy’s conservative government violates internal market rules. Since the ban was imposed last November, 11 other countries have come forward to protect “real” meat. A memo from the Italian, French and Austrian delegations submitted to the Agriculture and Fisheries Council on January 23 claimed that laboratory-grown varieties threatened “the very heart of the European agricultural model”. . They managed to corral eight other delegates as supporters.
The Italian initiative was sponsored by Francesco Lollobrigida, Minister of Agriculture in Giorgia Meloni’s government. The bill imposing the ban includes steep fines of up to 150,000 euros ($161,000) for violations. Its purpose is stated to be “protecting human health” and “maintaining human health.” [Italy’s] Food and Agricultural Heritage”. But so far, no food safety concerns have been raised regarding cultured meat. Any commercial product requires authorization from the European Food Safety Authority before it can be placed on the market.
What’s more, the nascent artificial meat industry still has a long way to go before it can produce commercial quantities of fully cultured products at competitive prices. The first lab-grown burger, tasted in 2013, cost more than $300,000 to create. Since then, companies operating in the region have faced major challenges in scaling up production and reducing costs. These days, many people are switching to developing hybrid foods that combine plant-based proteins with small amounts of cultured meat. Hybrid products are already being sold in small quantities in Singapore, Israel and the United States.
Josh Tetrick CEO The CEO of Eat Just, one of America’s leading startups, said this month that he has a 50-year view of the industry’s outlook. New discoveries could change that. But until that happens, the only effect of Italy’s ban will be that Mr. Lollobrigida can loudly say he defended his country’s livestock farmers. And the controversy therein is european union It will remain a storm in the petri dish. ■
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