Hungarian presidency launches offensive against ‘novel’ food to defend EU’s ‘culinary tradition’

4 months ago 19

At Budapest’s initiative, EU agriculture ministers will discuss on Monday (15 July) whether insects, plant-based foods or lab-grown meat could jeopardise Europe’s culinary traditions.

According to a note from the Hungarian Council Presidency circulated to EU delegations and seen by Euractiv, the 27 ministers will hold an informal exchange of views on the topic over lunch during next week’s Agriculture and Fisheries Council (AGRIFISH) meeting.

In the document, the Hungarian presidency emphasised that meat and dairy products remain a cornerstone of European food culture despite a sharp increase in the consumption of plant-based alternatives.

“When we talk about European food traditions (…) we think about roquefort, paella, pierogi, pizza (…),” reads the document, which invites countries to debate about dietary patterns during the Agriculture and Fisheries (AGRIFISH) Council next week.

According to the European Commission, consumption of plant-based alternatives to meat, dairy, and seafood products has grown fivefold since 2011 and is expected to increase.

The Hungarian presidency also noted that approximately 200 “novel foods” are authorised in the EU, and “several hundred applications” are in the pipeline.

Under EU law, novel food refers to “any food not consumed ‘significantly'” before May 1997. This category covers innovative foods, substances, and food production methods, as well as foods that are considered to be traditional in other parts of the world.

However, the Hungarians emphasised that “traditional food production and consumption are part of our European way of life,” and stressed that citizens remain sceptical of these innovations.

Last year, Italy approved (but never enforced) a national ban on the sale of lab-grown meat, despite these products not being yet approved at an EU level.

In January, Hungary was one of the countries supporting a document written by Austria, France and Italy arguing that meat grown in a laboratory is a threat to “genuine food production methods.”

To steer the discussion, the Hungarian Presidency is asking agriculture ministers whether plant-based alternatives to animal products, “should pay a significant role in EU agriculture,” considering consumption trends and that citizens, “in at least in some regions,” are “reluctant to fundamentally change” their diets.

An EU diplomat told Euractiv that the informal lunch could be a way to open the discussion on restrictions on lab-grown meat, with Italy and Poland expected to support the move.

Another diplomatic source close to the negotiations said the setting was not “a neutral way to initiate the discussion.”

“It is clearly the Hungarian agenda that is being pushed here,” they added.

According to the source, if Budapest wants to boost the EU’s competitiveness, it would not try to “kill” innovation and “weaken” the bloc’s position compared to countries investing in lab-grown meat, such as the US and Singapore.

“Without innovative methods, how will Europe ensure food security?” asked the source, pointing to the potential role of innovation in meeting future demand for animal protein.

[Edited by Angelo Di Mambro and Rajnish Singh]