Brussels – The European Food Authority is already reviewing approval applications for products like foie gras imitation and lab-grown beef fat cells, according to Alexander Bernhuber, an EU Member of Parliament and ÖVP agricultural spokesman. A petition titled “Lab Meat? No, thank you!” has garnered nearly 70,000 signatures and will be presented in the European Parliament’s Petitions Committee on Tuesday, aiming to halt these approvals.
Andreas Steinegger (Styria) and Siegfried Huber (Carinthia), presidents of the agricultural chambers, will personally present the petition. Their shared goal is to protect regional agriculture and maintain high quality standards in European food production, urging the EU Commission to suspend the ongoing approval process for lab-grown meat at the European Food Authority (EFSA).
Huber announced during a press conference in Brussels that the signature campaign across the two states collected 70,000 signatures. He emphasized a clear stance in countries like Austria and Italy, calling for “political discussion” and “political pressure.” Steinegger expressed concern that competing products threaten sustainable beef and small dairy farms, which often have just 15 or 20 cows.
Steinegger believes that the ability for farms to sustain themselves is at risk and called for a rejection of lab-grown meat approvals in the EU. He dismissed the argument that lab-grown meat could combat hunger in disadvantaged areas, questioning whether individuals in those regions could afford such products.
ÖVP spokesman Bernhuber raised ethical issues surrounding lab-grown meat that extend beyond animal welfare. He highlighted the need to differentiate between plant-based and animal-based products, stating that lab-grown meat involves cloning cells from animal embryos, which then grow in test tubes. He described such production as “more processed than regular salami.”
On the environmental and health implications of lab-grown meat, Bernhuber, who supports the petition, pointed out that its production is energy-intensive, and its long-term health effects are unclear. Steinegger, an organic farmer, criticized factory-made meat imitations laden with artificial additives as an assault on family-run agriculture and forestry.
Along with other Members of the European Parliament, Bernhuber, Steinegger, and Huber are advocating for EU-wide regulations on cultivated meat products. They argue there is a lack of scientific long-term studies addressing potential health effects and that many questions regarding labeling, origin, environmental impact, and ethical responsibility remain unresolved.
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