Made in Italy does not like the “synthetic meat” law: the industry is against Lollobrigida

According to the opinion of the Minister of Agriculture Francesco Lollobrigida, the “synthetic meat” law was created to protect Made in Italy and the quality of Italian food. However, it is the Made in Italy sector, the main recipient of the measure, that opposes the government-backed law. The term “Food Sovereignty” is also used in the name of Lollobrigida’s ministry: The problem is that the law in which he exposes himself and which has turned into an identity war for the center-right, risks damaging precisely “Food Sovereignty”. Italian sector in Europe.

The report comes directly from those concerned: Unione Italiana Food, the largest Confindustria association of the Italian food industry, sent an opinion on the law to the European Commission, highlighting its distortions and making a demand: the elimination of part of the law. The chairman is Paolo Barilla, who is the deputy of his brother Luca in the Barilla group, a globally iconic brand of Made in Italy. In addition, the Luca Coscioni Association made some observations from a legal perspective: Italy’s behavior would violate European Union law.

Lollobrigida produced in Italy against synthetic meat law: Opinion sent to the EU Commission

The so-called “synthetic meat” law is being examined through the European Commission’s Tris procedure, which evaluates the rule’s compliance with European law. Interested parties can upload their opinions regarding the measures included in the Tris procedure to the platform and contribute to the decision-making process. Unione Italiana Food introduces itself with its 51 billion turnover, 100,000 employees, 550 companies, 18 billion exports, 900 brands on Italian tables and more than 20 product sectors it represents, and defines itself as “the largest union that directly represents our country’s product categories.” ‘Food industry’.

The industry union has essentially eliminated the principles underlying the law: According to the text signed by Ministers Lollobrigida and Schillaci, plant-based products cannot be sold with a “meat sound”, that is, with names that refer to meat. No more “vegetable burgers” so to speak. The aim is “protection of national livestock heritage”, “human health”, “protection of consuming citizens’ interests and their right to information”.

However, the Italian Food Association states in its opinion sent to the EU Commission’s Tris platform: “Plant-based products have nothing to do with solid foods isolated or produced from cell cultures or tissues obtained from vertebrate animals. Plant-based products include legumes (soybeans, peas, etc.). ), grains (oats, rice, etc.), seeds (almonds), and vegetables or their protein isolates.”

The association then underlines: “The production process of products of plant origin therefore follows the production process of common foods of plant origin. The result is food and beverages prepared with ingredients that are unanimously recognized as safe by all authorities responsible for food safety and without any safety precautions in isolated form.” pertains to foods created or produced by cell or tissue cultures”.

Another principle that Lollbrigida frequently emphasizes is health protection and transparency. But there is no need for a new law on the subject because it already exists: “Labeling rules in the EU allow citizens to obtain full information about the content and composition of food products – we read in the opinion of Unionfood – In European and national food labeling, the European Parliament and It is regulated by the Regulation No. 1169/2011 of the Council of 25 October 2011. Moreover, “from some recent consumer research, it does not appear that consumers are confused about the names of plant-based products; on the contrary, they are consumers who generally read labels and are very clear about the nature of the product they are purchasing.” . For this reason, the Italian Food Association demands that “the ban on the use of the name meat in processed products containing vegetable protein be removed from the bill.”

Opinion of the Luca Coscioni Association: “It is clear that the EU procedure has been violated”

Also together with the association Luca Coscioni Science for Democracy, He conveyed his opinion to the European Commission via the Tris platform. The findings relate to the legal part and identify partly the same problems as Unionfood, adding that the government is “clearly” violating EU procedure: This is because the Tris directive ensures that draft laws are examined, not already approved laws. The text on cultured meat was forwarded to the EU Commission after it was approved by the Parliament and published by President Mattarella, and the text reached Brussels on the same day it was sent. Consequently, the Tris procedure cannot intervene: “It is also for this reason – the opinion of the Coscioni Association – that the conduct of the Italian executive body constitutes an anomaly in terms of the Tris procedure as well as a violation of the provisions of the European regulations”.

Additionally, according to the cultured meat law of the Coscioni Association:

• It limits the principle of free movement of goods;
• This breaks the precautionary principle that something not yet allowed in the European Union (laboratory-produced meat) cannot be banned without evidence showing, among other things, that it is harmful to humans;
• It violates the right to science in conjunction with the right of every individual to “enjoy the benefits of scientific progress and its applications.” This right is reserved in Art. Article 15 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, to which Italy has been a party since 1978.