Parliament Passes Law Banning Production and Sale of Artificial Meat

On Tuesday, Hungary’s Parliament passed a bill banning the production and sale of cultivated meat, approving the measure with 140 votes in favor, 10 against, and 18 abstentions. The measure aims to “protect human health and the environment, as well as to ensure sustainable agricultural production and preserve traditional rural lifestyles.”

The Ministry of Agriculture reaffirmed the government’s position the day before the vote, with Agriculture Minister István Nagy saying on social media that food production should not be separated from farmland.

If we separate food production from farmland, we lose our culture. That is why our country prohibits the production and marketing of cultivated meat in Hungary,”

he explained.

The Minister emphasized the need to maintain the link between food production and farmland, as this is the foundation of Hungarian traditions and culture. Moving away from this would lead to a loss of national identity, he noted. In his opinion, the spread of meat produced under laboratory conditions carries the risk of a lifestyle change that would completely turn European culture upside down.

A central point of the argument is the potential risks of lab-grown meat. The politician pointed to numerous concerns, as a significant portion of the food consumed is absorbed into the human organism. Everything must be done to rule out possible negative health effects, he emphasized.

The government sees technologies and production methods that deviate from traditional ones as potential dangers that threaten fundamental values and for which there are still no reassuring answers.

In an earlier statement, Minister Nagy said that he had asked the European Commission to guarantee the protection of traditional meat products. Although cultivated meat is not yet permitted in the EU, he added that according to Brussels, lab-grown meat is considered a new food product, and if approved, it will have to be sold in all Member States.

The newly adopted law provides for a general ban on the production and marketing of lab-grown meat. Exceptions are only permitted within the narrowest of limits. The production and marketing of lab-grown meat is only permitted for medical and veterinary purposes. The law defines lab-grown meat as a product that has been isolated or produced from animal cells or tissue under artificial conditions outside the living organism.

Via MTI, Parlament.hu; Featured image: Pexels

The post Parliament Passes Law Banning Production and Sale of Artificial Meat appeared first on Hungary Today.

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