Italy to ban production of cell-based food production

The draft bill was approved by the Italian government and submitted to parliament for a future vote yesterday and could have major implications on the nascent industry, which is making great strides worldwide with regulatory approvals and cell-based products being on the brink of commercialization.

Italy is the first country to come out in serious opposition to cellular agriculture. If the draft bill comes into full law, it will be a heavy blow for the cell-based movement – considered one of the hottest future trends worldwide – in general, sparking fears there could be a domino effect in other countries.

It would forbid the Italian industry from producing food or feed “from cell cultures or tissues derived from vertebrate animals”. The draft bill even contains fines up to €60,000 (US$65,013) – but can also reach 10% of company’s turnover – and the threat of forced factory shutdowns, if rules are breached.

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