The Coldiretti survey
The green light from the Senate hall to the bill on synthetic foods is supported by 3 out of 4 Italians (74%) who express an opinion and declare themselves against the consumption of milk, meat and fish produced in the laboratory. This is what Coldiretti affirms, based on Notosondaggi data, in commenting positively on the approval at Palazzo Madama with 93 votes in favour, 28 against and 33 abstentions of the bill that prohibits the production, placing on the market and importation into Italy of artificial food and feed but not research. A response to the great mobilization of Coldiretti which led to the collection of over 2 million signatures in support of the provision, with over 2 municipalities having voted in favor often unanimously, all the Regions of every political color and exponents of all sides as well as Ministers and Undersecretaries, national and European MPs and Mayors.
Quality food
Furthermore, an unprecedented, broad and composite alliance was born to claim the defense of the culture of quality food and push against the artificial and synthetic one which includes ACLI, AcliTerra, Adusbef, Anpit, Asi, AssoBio, Centro Consumatori Italia, Cia, Cna , City of Wine, City of Oil, Codacons, Codes, Consulta District of Food, Ctg, Coldiretti, Demeter, Ecofuturo, Ewa, Federbio, Federparchi, Fipe, Qualivita Foundation, Una Foundation, UniVerde Foundation, Globe, Greenaccord, Gre, Italia Nostra, Kyoto Club, Lega Consumatori, Masci, Movimento Consumatori, Naturasi, Salesiani for social work, Slow food Italy, Unpli, Wilderness. The Senate vote - reports Coldiretti - also takes up the doubts expressed in the first Fao - WHO report on "Cellular-based food", a definition considered clearer than the term "cultivated" (for example "cultivated meat"), preferred instead by manufacturing industries but considered to be misleading by the two world authorities, who also point out that the word "synthetic" is also used by the academic world as well as by the media. From allergies to tumors, there are 53 potential health hazards associated with laboratory-produced foods identified in the document.
The risks according to the experts
In particular - specifies Coldiretti - the risks according to the experts consulted by FAO and WHO concern the transmission of diseases, animal infections and microbial contamination as well as the need for particular attention on the use of components such as growth factors and hormones used in bioreactors (but banned in European farms for over 40 years) and how these active molecules can interfere with metabolism or be associated with the development of certain types of cancer. But there are also environmental concerns. The results of the research carried out by Derrick Risner and his colleagues at the University of California in Davis - continues Coldiretti - have shown that the global warming potential of synthetic meat defined in equivalents of carbon dioxide emitted for each kilogram produced is from 4 to 25 times higher than that of traditional beef. "Italy, which is the world leader in food quality and safety, has the responsibility to lead the way in health and environmental protection policies" says the president of Coldiretti Ettore Prandini in underlining that "the widespread distrust confirms the need to respect the precautionary principle in the face of a new technology with many unknowns that risks changing people's lives and the environment around us”. "Precisely for this reason - concludes Prandini - the challenge that Coldiretti launches to the European institutions is that the products in the laboratory in the authorization processes are not equated to food but rather to pharmaceutical products". (Source COLDIRETTI)