Styrian petition

Butchers and farmers say no to lab-grown meat

The initiators of the petition: top chef Christof Widakovich, farmer Melanie Haas, State Councillor for Agriculture Simone Schmiedtbauer, President of the Chamber of Agriculture Franz Titschenbacher, traditional butcher Josef Mosshammer and nutritionist Sandra Holasek (from left to right).

(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

What can already be found in supermarkets in Singapore and the USA should be banned in Styria. This is what butchers, farmers and politicians are demanding with their petition "Lab-grown meat? No thanks!", for which signatures are now being collected. Could imitation meat really become a danger?

"Artificially produced meat from a reactor is a red line for us," says Franz Titschenbacher, President of the Chamber of Agriculture. A group of politicians and the meat industry are joining forces to stand up for real Styrian meat. "We are calling for a ban on lab-grown meat in Austria and Europe," says Simone Schmiedtbauer, a member of the ÖVP agricultural council.

"This petition is intended as a signal to domestic agriculture," adds Titschenbacher. A signal to farmers like Melanie Haas. She keeps Alpine oxen on her farm in Passail and sees her main source of income at risk. "For me, the issue of lab-grown meat is not only a worrying one, but also a very emotional one - there is so much at stake, for people, animals and nature." Her business secures jobs in the region and promotes biodiversity - in contrast to technologically complex lab-grown meat.

Josef Mosshammer, regional food guild master, advocates the "Sunday roast".

(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

Sandra Holasek, nutritionist at the Medical University of Graz, explains exactly how the production of such imitation meat works: first, cells have to be taken from a living animal, which are then cultivated in the laboratory with additives such as stabilizers or antibiotics. Growth substances, so far mostly calf serum, are then used to turn them into a whole piece of meat. A process with "huge question marks", says Holasek. Artificial meat also lacks minerals and vitamins such as B12.

Butcher Mosshammer thinks less is more
"I'm losing my appetite!" says Josef Mosshammer, regional guild master for food and owner of the well-known butcher's shop in Graz. For him, the question is: "Are we going to let the industry serve us fake food or are we going to preserve our cultural heritage?" We have to find other ways of dealing with the new demands of customers. He responds to the demand for meat alternatives in his store with a vegetarian fresh food counter - even if he doesn't see his customers at risk.

However, the experienced butcher knows that the current trend is towards cheaper meat. He therefore advocates buying simple products, such as Braunschweiger, and less meat. "We need to get back to Sunday meat and a mindful use of resources," says Schmiedtbauer. In order to preserve the "culture of nutrition", they are now calling for signatures. The petition will also be available at the counter of the Mosshammer butcher's shop in Zinzendorfgasse.