How does Italy’s proposed cell-based ban impact the burgeoning lab-grown industry?

29 Mar 2023 --- Italy is moving to ban the country’s food industry from producing cell-based foods in a bid to “protect culinary heritage.” The draft bill was approved by the Italian government and submitted to parliament for a future vote yesterday and could have major implications on the nascent industry, which is making great strides worldwide with regulatory approvals and cell-based products being on the brink of commercialization.

Italy is the first country to come out in serious opposition to cellular agriculture. If the draft bill comes into full law, it will be a heavy blow for the cell-based movement – considered one of the hottest future trends worldwide – in general, sparking fears there could be a domino effect in other countries.

It would forbid the Italian industry from producing food or feed “from cell cultures or tissues derived from vertebrate animals.” The draft bill even contains fines up to €60,000 (US$65,013) – but can also reach 10% of company’s turnover – and the threat of forced factory shutdowns, if rules are breached. 

Cell-based counterculture
While Italian authorities claim that cell-based foods are “dangerous” to the country’s culinary heritage and the traditional Mediterranean diet, supporters of the emergent cell-based meat sector defend that cultivated meat can be seen as an “old food but produced in a new way.”

“Cultivated meat can fit into traditional dishes and can represent a continuation of culinary traditions. People have been adapting their diets and changing their food traditions for thousands of years,” Mathilde Alexandre, head of the ProVeg CellAg project, tells FoodIngredientsFirst.

“Moreover, Italy’s culinary heritage doesn’t simply lay in animal-based products and would be reductive describing it just in their relation. Ultimately, not only allowing but rather supporting cell-based meat companies to operate would let Italy enhance its culinary heritage, while acquiring a relevant spot in the European landscape in fighting climate change,” says Domiziana Illengo, head of the vegan area for Italian animal rights group LAV. 

Cell-based gaining momentum?
The blow against cultured meats comes at a time when the innovative technology is gaining momentum across countries. Last week, US-based GOOD Meat received a “no questions” letter from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), meaning it had cleared crucial safety approvals for its cell-based chicken.  

Supporters of the emergent cell-based meat sector defend that cultivated meat can be seen as an “old food but produced in a new way.” (Image Credit: Good Meat).“We believe this is more of a ‘knee-jerk’ reaction to an important new technology that can positively affect the food system in reducing carbon emissions, pollution and supports animal welfare and biodiversity while being a real lever for economic growth,” Alexandre highlights.

Currently, Singapore has made the most advancements on cultivated meat regulation, granting EAT Just the world-first regulatory approval for its chicken in December 2020. Meanwhile, the EU has shown relatively slow movement on cultivating meat, which has led some countries – like the Netherlands – to approve their own regulatory frameworks.

“Israel has also positioned itself well in terms of pushing forward innovation and research and development in the cultivated meat field. China has included cultured meat and other future foods in its five-year agricultural plan, which will spur more funding for research in the sector and accelerate the timeline in the country for the regulatory approval of cultured meat,” Alexandre continues.

South Korea could also be one of the first countries to legalize cell-based foods, with the country giving funds and working closely with players in the sector, such as cell-based shrimp manufacturer CellMeat.

Precautionary principle
Italy’s Minister of Health Orazio Schillaci, says that Italy “wants to protect citizen’s health” and says that the government’s decision is “based on the precautionary principle because there are no scientific studies yet on the effects of synthetic foods.”

“There is no guarantee that the products chemicals used [on cell-based foods] are safe for food consumption,” adds Ettore Prandini, president of Coldiretti, an association representing Italian agriculture.

Conversely, Robert Jones, president of Cellular Agriculture Europe explains that food products must be authorized by the European Commission after a “thorough safety assessment” by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). 

“Worldwide, this approval is considered to be a gold standard in food safety. Hence, the Italian proposal is unnecessary as Italian and European consumers can be sure that, once approved by the European Commission, cultivated products are safe,” he explains.

“And as cultivated meat is being assessed by international risk assessment bodies in the EU, the US Food & Drug Administration and the Singapore Food Agency have given greenlights on the safety of cultivated product applications,” Jones highlights.Jones explains the ban could damage the opportunity of Italy and the EU to be at the forefront of cell-based innovation.

“Cultured meat is anything but a synthetic or unnatural food. It has already been authorized in other countries without any problem for human health and 107 companies already operate on it in 25 countries, including ours,” adds Gianluca Felicetti, president of LAV. 

In the same vein, Alexandre explains that “cultivated meat will have to undergo the same regulatory processes and safety tests as any novel food item before being authorized for commercial use.”

Furthermore, she notes that there will also be health advantages with no animal husbandry involved.  

“There would be a vastly reduced risk of pathogens contamination in the production of cultivated meat. Cultivated meat also has the potential to reduce the use of antibiotics in animal agriculture, which is driving antibiotic resistance in humans. In addition, cultivated meat can offer improved nutritional composition, such as cholesterol-free meat.” 

Furthermore, Jones explains the ban could damage the opportunity of Italy and the EU to be at the forefront of cell-based innovation in the face of fragile supply chains, increased domestic and international supply constraints and for Italy’s competitiveness in the global agri-food industry. 

“Such a ban will reduce consumers’ ability to choose the food they want. Thanks to cultivated meat, dairy and seafood companies, there will be new products on the market, allowing consumers concerned about animal welfare and the environmental impact of their food to choose the product they wish,” he underscores.

Sustainability disputes
According to a Good Food Institute survey from September, 58% of Italians responded that cultivated meat would have a positive impact on the environment. 

Contrary to a growing body of evidence that cell-based foods are less environmentally intensive and offer significant carbon reductions, Prandini at Coldiretti argues that cell-based foods would not help with sustainability.

South Korea could be one of the first countries to legalize cell-based foods, with the country giving funds and working closely with companies such as CellMeat. (Image Credit: CellMeat).“We thank the government for accepting our appeal to stop a dangerous drift that jeopardizes the future of national food culture, the countryside and pastures and the entire Made in Italy food supply chain and economic democracy itself,” he asserts.

“The truth is that it is not meat but a synthetic and engineered product, which does not save the environment because it consumes more water and energy than many traditional farms.”

On the other side of the debate, Alexandre explains that cultivated meat shows “many promises” regarding sustainability in addition to economic viability compared to conventional meat.  

“The latest life-cycle assessment shows that cultivated beef could result in a reduction of 92% of carbon footprint if renewable energy is used in the production process, 95% of land use and 78% of water requirements, compared to conventional beef production. In 2022, the IPCC report listed cellular agriculture as a way to limit pressures on finite natural resources,” she notes.

“Cultivated meat is a nascent industry that also has the potential to become a major economic driver, creating new jobs and business opportunities,” she continues.

“A 2021 study by Oxford Economics showed that in the UK for instance, the cultivated meat sector could add over £2 billion (US$2.47 billion) to the economy and create 16,500 jobs by 2030. By banning it, Italy could be limiting its own potential for scientific and economic advancement while other European countries continue to invest in this promising field,” Alexandre concludes. 

“Italy is the only country where the government is openly and actively obstructing the development of an industry which could be critical for a sustainable and ethical development of the food sector and we hope ministers will rethink their position on cell-based meat,” Illengo concludes.  

By Marc Cervera