Czech cultured meat company Bene Meat Technologies has issued an open letter to the European Commission, asking it to review Italy’s ban on cultured meat. The ban is seen as violating EU law and lacks scientific basis. The letter pointed out that the EU has established a series of legislative instruments to ensure food safety, and emphasized that these regulations generally apply to all member states.

As a company with extensive experience in cellular agriculture, Bene Meat Technologies highlights the health, environmental and ethical advantages of cell-based products. The company said that while there is incipient distrust of new technologies, this distrust should not be a reason to ban innovation, especially when there is a lack of factual and scientific basis.

In addition, Bene Meat Technologies also pointed out that top biotechnology companies from the United States, Israel and the European Union have recognized the potential of cultured meat and invested heavily in the research and development of this technology.

However, the Italian House of Representatives passed a bill banning cultured meat in November last year, arguing that the safety of artificial meat for consumption has not been proven and threatens the country's food heritage. The move sparked controversy as the European Commission said Italy violated EU rules by passing the bill without going through a review process.

Similarly, a coalition of agriculture ministers led by Austria, France and Italy also opposes cultured meat technology and is trying to block its development within the EU. However, some think tanks believe the scientific reviews and information used by the coalition are outdated or even wrong.

Bene Meat Technologies was founded in 2020 and is led by a team of biotechnologists and food scientists. The company is dedicated to the development and commercialization of cultured meat and has achieved some important milestones, including becoming the first company in the EU to register its pet food ingredients as feed ingredients. The company emphasizes that consumers' choices should be based on the same environmental, health and ethical standards, whether conventional or cultured meat.