Industry voices push back after Hungary approves ban on cultivated meat

Hungary’s decision to ban the production and sale of cultivated meat prompted strong criticism from alternative protein advocates, scientists, and food-tech leaders, who said the move risked widening political divisions within Europe and undermining the EU’s harmonised approach to novel food regulation. The legislation, passed by Parliament on 18 November with 140 votes in favour, 10 against, and 18 abstentions, prohibited the manufacture, distribution, and marketing of food made from animal cells cultivated outside a living organism, except for narrowly defined medical and veterinary uses.

The law cited the need to protect “traditional rural lifestyles and human health”, while warning against the “potential dangers of non-traditional technologies”. Agriculture Minister István Nagy (pictured) had reiterated that view the day before the vote, arguing that food should remain rooted in traditional production systems. “Food production [must] be linked to the land, as this is the basis of our traditions and culture, and if we move away from this, we will lose our identity,” he said. He added that “the spread of meat produced in laboratory conditions would result in a lifestyle change that would completely upset European culture, which we cannot allow.”

Hungary became the second European country to pass such a prohibition, following Italy’s 2023 ban. The decision followed nearly two years of debate in which Hungarian officials repeatedly opposed the introduction of cultivated meat, including interventions at EU agriculture meetings and public criticism of the technology by senior politicians. Analysts noted that the move contrasted with the EU’s regulatory framework for novel foods, in which cultivated meat would undergo a scientific assessment by the European Food Safety Authority before any approval. The European Commission previously said a ban was “unnecessary” and “unjustified”, adding that it risked undermining the free movement of goods.

ProVeg International said the vote was a setback for countries working to reduce the environmental impact of food production. Valentina Gallani, Health and Nutrition Manager at ProVeg International, said it was “disappointing to hear that Hungary has banned a food technology that has so much promise in terms of feeding Europe and reducing the stress on the environment.” She said cultivated meat could support the shift toward more sustainable protein sources while complementing existing farming systems. “Cultivated meat does not eclipse traditional animal farming but offers a complementary way of production that should be promoted and not restricted. We call on Hungarian lawmakers to rethink their stance and allow the transition to more climate-friendly meat production to pick up pace,” she said.

The decision also drew criticism from within the scientific community. Gábor Forgács, a Hungarian-born scientist and Co-founder of Modern Meadow and Fork & Good, said he was “deeply ashamed” of the ban. In a public statement on LinkedIn, he said the action was politically motivated and inconsistent with Hungary’s scientific heritage. He described the ban as revealing “serious ignorance of scientific facts, in fact it reveals outright stupidity”, and called the justification about protecting traditional rural lifestyles and human health “laughable”. He also said he questioned the motivations behind the move and argued that, once EU-level regulatory approvals were granted, national bans in Hungary and Italy would become unenforceable.

Hungary’s government maintained that the measure supported the protection of farmland, cultural identity, and rural communities. Nagy said the country had “examined the issue of cultured meat from all sides” and insisted that “the strictest possible regulation is needed”. He said Hungary would “strictly prohibit the production and distribution of cultured meat” except for medical and veterinary applications.

Critics said the decision not only ran counter to the EU’s scientific process but also to public sentiment. Data cited by Green Queen indicated that over 60% of Hungarians opposed banning cultivated meat, and around 55% supported allowing it on the market if it passed EU safety assessments. Researchers have also pointed to the environmental advantages of cultivated meat – particularly when produced with renewable energy – and the role it could play in strengthening long-term food security and animal welfare. The ban came at a time when only two companies, Parima and Mosa Meat, had filed applications to sell cultivated meat within the EU, and both remained at least a year from potential approval. Industry observers said Hungary’s stance served as a symbolic escalation in a wider political debate rather than a response to imminent market changes.

Supporters of cultivated meat said Hungary’s decision risked discouraging innovation and investment in a sector that many governments consider strategically important for climate goals and food-system resilience. As European companies prepared for regulatory evaluations, Hungary’s vote underscored growing tensions between science-based regulation, national politics, and competing visions of the future of food.