Italy is in the vanguard in Europe with respect to its position on lab-grown meat, Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida said on Tuesday.
"We are the first nation in the world that has not banned research but applies the principle of precaution, banning the marketing and production of something we still know very little about," said Lollobrigida in relation to a November law approved by parliament banning the production, sale or import ofcultivated meat or animal feed.
Italy, said the minister, is not only "not isolated but is in the vanguard with respect to the protection of our supply chains and quality".
Moreover, "let's allow European citizens to tell us what they think in a public consultation", he added.
Cultivated meat is grown from animal-tissue cells in laboratory, meaning that animals do not have to be slaughtered to produce it.
The ruling coalition led by Premier Giorgia Meloni has said the ban is needed to safeguard the public from potential health risks and protect Italy's livestock industry and its traditional cuisine.
However, the Vice President of the More Europe (+Europa) party Piercamillo Falasca has warned that Italy risks an infraction procedure and the EC has said though a spokesperson that the ban might be appealed by courts in other countries.
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