Full Description
This open access book presents a thorough and up-to-date exploration of the complex and often controversial topic of cell-based meat. In a world facing pressing food security challenges, innovations in the agri-food sector - including Novel Foods like insects and especially cell-based meat - are at the heart of ongoing political, legislative, economic, scientific, and ethical discussions.
Focusing specifically on cultured meat, the book presents a research-driven analysis intended to serve a wide audience. Policymakers, public authorities, food industry professionals, researchers, students, and the general public will find valuable insights to help them navigate this multifaceted issue and counter the risks posed by misinformation, and ideologically driven narratives.
To address the varied and interconnected questions surrounding cell-based meat, the book adopts an interdisciplinary approach, drawing on the expertise and research of scholars from the University of Parma and other Italian and international institutions. The diverse team of authors - specialized in law, economics, food chemistry, animal nutrition and more - has contributed to numerous studies, projects, and events over recent years, tackling the various challenges this emerging food technology poses.
The book is structured into three distinct parts. The first addresses scientific and sustainability issues, paying specific attention to open questions on food safety, as well as to the role of EFSA. Offering a comparative perspective, the second part examines the evolving legal and policy frameworks within and beyond the European Union. It discusses topics such as animal welfare, marketing regulations, and labelling practices, highlighting the diverse approaches countries are taking - from investing in these future foods, to banning their production or sale. The final part focuses on consumer perceptions, emerging consumption patterns, and religious considerations. Through its accessible, science-based analysis of legal, ethical, scientific, and economic aspects, the book provides a well-rounded resource to support informed public debate and decision-making on a topic that is rapidly gaining global attention.
Contents
Cultivating a Revolution: Legal and Policy Trajectories for a Sustainable Protein Transition.- Part I. Scientific and Sustainability Challenges.- What Is Cell-Based Meat? Food Safety and Sustainability Aspects.- Safety Assessment of Cell-Culture-Derived Food: The Role of the European Food Safety Authority.- Part II. Legal and Policy Debate.- Cell-Based Meat in the European Union - A Regulatory Crossroads.- The Legal Debate on Cultured Meat Around the World: Comparative Insights from the United States, Singapore and Israel.- Regulatory Landscape of Cultured Meat and Fish: Terminology and Consumer Information Provisions.- Cell-Based Meat and Food Policy.- Animal Welfare as a Constitutional Value: The Debate in Comparative Law and the Emerging Role of Cultivated Meat.- Part III. Socio-Economic and Cultural Issues.- Food Justice in Religious Laws: Hypotheses on Cultivated Meat.-
Who Hates Cultured Meat? Examining Public Opposition to Cellular Agriculture.- Navigating Consumer Acceptance of Cultured Meat: Insights from Social Science Research.- Socio-Demographic and Behavioural Determinants of Consumer Attitudes to Cell-Based Meat and Insect-Flour-Based Products: An Empirical Study of Italians' Propensity to Accept New Foods for Human Nutrition and Pet Food.- Concluding Observations.
