Does Uruguay seek to ban synthetic meat?

The South American country could continue the path initiated a few years ago to limit the commercialization of the product within its borders.

A bill could eventually prohibit the importation and processing of laboratory-produced food.

In Uruguay, where beef production and consumption play a central role, synthetic meat threatens its livestock economy.

The ruling National Party senator, Sebastián Da Silva, a rural producer, announced that he would promote a law prohibiting the importation and manufacture of laboratory-produced meat in the country.

This regulation seeks to defend natural food and anticipate future problems that Uruguay could face if the demand for synthetic meat increases considerably, which is still far off.

The legislator expects to be able to present the bill in the framework of Accountability that will be analyzed in the Uruguayan Parliament in the coming weeks.

Da Silva told Telemundo that the legislation, which has the support of the National Party, will be “negotiated” within the government coalition.

“Existing research shows that these experiments are not safe for health,” but rather “poison people,” said the proponent of the proposal.

With over 400 years of cattle farming, the country took the first measures against synthetic meat in 2020, with the Budget Law for 2020-2024.

Article 292 of the regulation states that “food containing animal culture cells artificially produced in a laboratory” cannot be identified as meat.

“They may not be used to refer to them, advertise or market names associated with products of animal origin and their derivatives, or use any label, commercial document, description or pictorial representations, advertising material or form of advertising and representation that indicates, implies or suggests that it is a food of animal origin and its derivatives,” the text expresses.

The consumption of synthetic meat has already caused controversy in the country.

In 2021, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates encouraged rich countries to consume this type of protein, considering it a way to reduce greenhouse gases from livestock farming.

The authorities linked to agriculture in Uruguay defended the way of producing in the country, which they described as environmentally friendly.

With information from Sputnik

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