The food of the new millennium is made without animals, in a laboratory just like medicines are made. After meat and the fish, now comes the synthetic milk, with Israel poised to become one of the first countries in the world to sell real dairy products without cows. A revolution, that of synthetic food, which is of great concern Coldiretti e Filiera Italia who have launched with Assica, Assolatte, Unaitalia and Assocarni the first alliance against test-tube food, the true enemy of Made in Italy agri-food.
Artificial food is a very controversial topic, which divides experts, consumers and producers. It is a type of meat, fish (now also milk) obtained in the laboratory, starting from animal stem cells, designed to reduce the environmental impact coming from intensive farms and industries. All without killing animals. But what is Italy's position in this regard?
Synthetic food: Italy bans production but not imports
Therefore, after the restrictions on the use of insect flour, now comes the no to synthetic food. The Italian bill prohibits the production and marketing of this artificial food, but not for imports. The motivation is to protect the health of consumers, the quality of Italian agri-food products, and the competitiveness of farmers and traders. According to the recent Tecne' survey, even the vast majority of consumers would never eat lab-made meat (72%) – considered a threat to health and to the environment itself – and only 18% would instead try it while 10% do not know and need more information.
But if EFSA, the EU food safety authority, were to approve their use in the Member States, due to the Community rules on the free movement of goods and services, Italy could not oppose their distribution.
Test-tube food: the risks
"The truth is that it is not about food but about an engineered product, with manufacturing processes much more similar to those of drugs and in this area they must be evaluated - said the president of Coldiretti Ettore Prandini –. Hormones are used in cellular-based products which have instead been banned in European farms since 1996. We have turned the spotlight on a business in the hands of a few but very influential people in the world which – specified Prandini – can change people's lives and the environment that surrounds us, putting economic and food democracy itself at risk". Yes, because in addition to the possible risks related to health of consumers and the environment, to date nothing is known yet, the transition to synthetic milk would bring the Italian productive fabric to its knees.
“For Italy, all this would represent a serious danger for the survival of the numerous farms which today are worth 55 billion euros and are therefore one of the flagships of Made in Italy. The Israeli Ministry of Health - Coldiretti explained - has allowed the Remilk company to sell to the public its dairy products born in the laboratory without ever having seen even the shadow of a cow, using the milk protein gene and inserting it into bioreactors for accelerated product growth.
And it's already gone mobilization of Coldiretti: collections over half a million signatures to support the law against synthetic foods. A mobilization that has gathered a transversal consensus: from the government to the mayors, from associations to personalities from the culture of sport and entertainment, entrepreneurs up to the bishops.
