At Hungary’s initiative, EU agriculture ministers will discuss whether insects, plant-based foods, or lab-grown meat could jeopardize Europe’s culinary traditions.
The meeting will take place next week during the Agriculture and Fisheries Council (AGRIFISH) session, with an informal discussion scheduled over lunch.
A note from the Hungarian Council Presidency, circulated to EU delegations, outlines the agenda for this discussion.
The Hungarian presidency emphasized that meat and dairy products remain central to European food culture despite the rising consumption of plant-based alternatives.
“When we talk about European food traditions, we think about roquefort, paella, pierogi, pizza,” the document states, inviting countries to debate dietary patterns during the AGRIFISH Council.
According to the European Commission, consumption of plant-based alternatives to meat, dairy, and seafood products has increased fivefold since 2011 and is expected to continue rising.
The Hungarian presidency noted that approximately 200 “novel foods” are authorized in the EU, with several hundred applications pending approval.
Under EU law, novel food refers to any food not consumed “significantly” before May 1997, including innovative foods, substances, and production methods, as well as foods traditional in other parts of the world.
However, Hungary stressed that “traditional food production and consumption are part of our European way of life,” highlighting citizens’ skepticism toward these innovations.
Last year, Italy approved (but never enforced) a national ban on the sale of lab-grown meat, despite these products not being approved at the EU level.
In January, Hungary supported a document by Austria, France, and Italy arguing that lab-grown meat threatens “genuine food production methods.”
To guide the discussion, the Hungarian Presidency is asking agriculture ministers whether plant-based alternatives to animal products should play a significant role in EU agriculture, considering consumption trends and citizens’ reluctance to fundamentally change their diets in some regions.
An EU diplomat suggested that the informal lunch could be a way to open discussions on restricting lab-grown meat, with Italy and Poland expected to support the move.
Another diplomatic source close to the negotiations criticized the setting as not “a neutral way to initiate the discussion,” suggesting it clearly pushes Hungary’s agenda.
