In France, Agricultural Minister Julien Denormandie has seemingly indicated he will not approve cell-based meat for sale. On social media, Denormandie wrote, “Meat comes from life, not from laboratories,” according to FoodNavigator.com.
The testy tweet came shortly after Singapore became the first country to okay cell-based meat for consumer sale. Singapore Food Agency approved Eat Just’s cultivated chicken nuggets on December 2.
“Is this really the society we want for our children?” Denormandie added. “Me, NON… Count on me that in France, meat remains natural and never artificial!”
Agriculture Cellulaire France shot back, telling Denormandie, “It would be a shame to reject outright an innovative method of production that enables France to compete in the growing field of alternative proteins. Instead, let’s promote the development of a French sector that guarantees quality!”
France is home to a number of cell-based meat startups, including Gourmey, which is developing foie gras from duck egg cells. “With its culinary tradition and high-quality research ecosystem, France has unique assets to become a leader in the field of alternative proteins and specifically cultured meat,” Gourmey CEO and co-founder Nicolas Morin-Forest told FoodNavigator.