Cell-Based Meat in the European Union and Beyond: An Interdisciplinary Study

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.

Giulia Formici is Assistant Professor (RTD/B) in Public Comparative Law at the Department of Law, Politics and International Studies of the University of Parma, where she teaches, among others, courses on Comparative Food Law and Novel Foods Law at the Degree Course “Global Food Law: Sustainability Challenges and Innovation”. She participates in several projects dedicated to food law (Project “Food for Future” Department of Excellence 2023-2027, Project of National Relevance (PRIN 2022) “The Future of Food, The Food of the Future”) and she is part of the teaching staff of a Jean Monnet Module FeedInn at the University of Milan, specifically devoted to Novel Foods. Her main research areas in the field of food law are Novel Foods, edible insects, traditional foods coming from Third Countries, cell-based meat, food sustainability, greenwashing and consumers' empowerment. She has been awarded the “SIRD Younger Comparatists 2022” prize with a paper addressing the link between right to food, cultural identity, sustainability, and food divide. She edited, together with Professor Lucia Scaffardi, the book “Novel Foods and Edible Insects in the European Union. An Interdisciplinary Analysis”, published by Spinger.

Maria Cecilia Mancini is Full Professor of Agricultural Economics at the Department of Economics and Management of the University of Parma where she teaches Economics of Value Chains and Management of Food Quality Schemes. She participates in European (Horizon, Erasmus +) research projects and nationally funded projects (PNRR-National Recovery and Resilience Plan) focusing on consumer perceptions of Novel Foods and the sustainability of Alternative Food Networks. She is Vice-Rector for International Relations and Mobility at the University of Parma. She has published several papers and book chapters on cultivated meat, exploring consumers’ attitude and acceptance of alternative meat production systems.  

Lucia Scaffardi is Full Professor of Public Comparative Law at the Department of Law, Politics and International Studies of the University of Parma. Since 2023 she is Scientific Coordinator of the Project “Food for Future” Department of Excellence 2023-2027, awarded by the Ministry for University and Research. She is also Principal Investigator of a Project of National Relevance (PRIN 2022) on Novel Foods and Agriculture 4.0 as well as Leader of the University of Parma Research Unit in the PRIN PNRR 2022 “New Sustainability Governance” and of the ONFOODS Research Project funded by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. Lucia's main research fields cover different areas, from DNA databases for investigative purposes to biometric data as law enforcement tools, from hate speech to GMOs. In 2016 she started focusing on food law and, in particular, on the impact of new technologies (GMOs, Novel Foods, and NGTs) on the food sector, considering food safety and sustainability issues together with specific legislative and regulatory challenges. She authored and edited several books, among which “Novel Foods and Edible Insects in the European Union. An Interdisciplinary Analysis”, published by Spinger.