In March 2023, Italy's minister of agriculture, Francesco Lollobrigida, announced that the country will be the first to ban lab-grown foods, including the production and commercialisation of cultivated meat.

The draft bill has been put forward in the name of farmers, to protect them from the perceived threats that what they call “synthetic” foods pose to traditional cuisine.

Those behind the bill also say it will protect human health and the national agri-food industry.

The head of the Italian dairy industry group Assolatte praised the government’s efforts in blocking so-called "unnatural" products that he claims are promoted "under the pretext of protecting the environment".

But some feel the proposal completely misses the mark, such as Alice Ravenscroft the European Policy Head for the Good Food Institute. She notes that 54% of Italians want to give cultivated meat a try.

She also claims that “the passing of such a law would shut down the economic potential of this nascent field in Italy, holding back scientific progress and climate mitigation efforts”.

So, are lab grown meats a real threat to traditional Italian cuisine? How could Italy’s banning of them affect the food industry? And is the ban ever likely to actually come to fruition?

Sharon Cittone, Founder and CEO, Edible Planet Adventures

Robert Jones, Chair, Cellular Agriculture Europe & VP Public Affairs, Mosa Meat