István Nagy: the consequences of the spread of artificial meat are unpredictable

By: Trademagazin Date: 2025. 06. 26. 11:08

The consequences of the spread of artificial meat are unpredictable, its spread can endanger both producers and consumers – said István Nagy on Wednesday in Budapest, at the event of the Italian Chamber of Commerce of Hungary (Camera di Commecio Italiana per l’Ungheria) and the National Chamber of Agriculture (NAK).

The Minister of Agriculture emphasized that social, economic, health and ethical objections may arise against meat produced by artificially growing animal tissues. Substitute products are not equivalent to real meat because they do not contain the same nutrients, therefore, according to the Minister, calling artificial meat meat is “deceiving consumers”. It may also be necessary to tighten labeling rules to clearly distinguish substitutes from traditional products.

István Nagy asked the European Commission to protect traditional meat products, and although artificial meat is not yet authorized in the EU, according to the Brussels position – he added – laboratory-grown meat is a new food, and if it receives approval, it will have to be sold compulsorily in all member states. However, its consumption is not just a health issue, as artificial foods also endanger the viability of the countryside, the actors in the food economy, and European traditions.

Food production must also be preserved in a way that is linked to the agricultural land, because this is justified from a sustainability perspective. Without livestock farming, grasslands that store significant amounts of carbon dioxide cannot be sustained, while not only is the safety of cell-based technology questionable, but its carbon footprint is also not precisely known

– he emphasized.

The minister added that a bill preventing the production and distribution of artificial meat was also prepared in order to prevent these risks. The world would be poorer without uniqueness, which is why the government is committed to protecting traditional values, and is counting on Italy’s support in this. The stealthy Brussels legislation endangers values and cultures, so it is worth fighting against it, focusing all our efforts on protecting traditional ways of life, he said.

According to the president of the National Chamber of Agriculture (NAK), a copy can now be made of anything even if no one asked for it. In the interests of agriculture, Zsolt Papp also believes that solidarity must be shown against artificial meat or artificial milk, and consumers must be informed about how each food is made. Unfortunately, livestock farmers are under increasing attack worldwide, even though their activities contribute to the survival of the countryside, which is why both Hungary and Italy consider them of paramount importance.

The Italian Minister of Agriculture considers artificial meat a central issue in the protection of food industry traditions. In his welcoming letter to the event, Francesco Lollobrigida stated that any experiment that seeks to create artificial food could endanger agriculture, the food industry and people’s health.

Artificial meat takes food production away from producers and disrupts its traditional order, so the food industry should not be speculated on.

Innovations should not aim to replace nature, but to respect it, just as the Mediterranean diet, which is part of humanity’s spiritual heritage, is closely linked to biodiversity, the land and agriculture, since food is not only food, but also culture, a place of production and health – the Minister emphasized, and he also announced that the Italian government supports Hungary’s position on the protection of agriculture based on originality for the sake of.