Despite the distrust of farmers and the political class, France should “speed up” research on meat reconstituted in the laboratory from animal cells, recommends a Senate report consulted by AFP, the official adoption of which was postponed on Wednesday.
To date, cellular “chicken” can only be eaten in Singapore. But around 100 companies, from the United States to the Netherlands, are working to develop and approve these new foods.
The senators fear that France will be left behind and become “dependent on large foreign companies”. They therefore recommend “not categorically ruling out the financing of innovations”, in particular through public subsidies.
“Given the concerns raised by the development of the product, its implications for breeding and the many questions raised by the presentation of the report, the members of the [des affaires économiques] wanted to extend their deliberations by fifteen days” before moving on to the vote, the Senate said in a press release.
“In vitro meat”, “laboratory meat”… These terms denote foods made from meat produced in fermenters based on animal cells immersed in culture broth.
For their defenders, these “cellular foods” should make it possible to reduce the impact of livestock farming, which accounts for 14.5% of greenhouse gas emissions of human origin and contributes to deforestation.
In a breeding ground like France, this technology, which is still in its infancy, is met with great reluctance. And the open opposition of former Minister of Agriculture Julien Denormandie and current Marc Fesneau.
At the same time, the public investment bank Bpifrance supported the two French companies active in this sector, Vital Meat and Gourmey, with around 6 million euros in the form of loans, repayable advances or grants.
At the end of their mission, which began in January, the senators who wrote the report believe “a consensus has emerged to expand our knowledge on the subject.”
The report recommends “accelerating research in France to resolve the many uncertainties that remain and ensure control over the technology”.
No application for marketing authorization has yet been submitted in the European Union and it is likely to have to wait until at least 2025 for such foods to appear on store shelves. However, this should not “be an excuse to pretend that the topic does not exist,” the report’s authors state.