4 ms·

I am not Italian but think it’s a step in the right direction, but overreaches. I think they should make it law that synthetic meat can’t be called “meat” and t

I am not Italian but think it’s a step in the right direction, but overreaches. I think they should make it law that synthetic meat can’t be called “meat” and that insect ‘flour’ can’t be called “flour”. And should have to be prefaced with “unnatural food product” or similar on all sides of packaging.

000ooo000 4y ago
Define 'natural product'. I bet there are thousands of items on shelves now that aren't 'natural' but still escape this scrutiny, just due to having been around a while and flying under the radar.
- fbn79 4y ago
  Yes it's creazy. The only valid definition that comes to my mind of 'natural product' is "Existent before 1973".
  - warrenm 4y ago
    Velveeta predates 1973 And there's nothing "natural" about it :)
fbn79 4y ago
As another Italiano I can totally confirm this.You can find here the most disparate and crazy proposals that are just clickbait nor will never be approved.
AlecSchueler 4y ago
Could you explain your reasoning? The unnatural food product stickers sounds like a health warning but for what? I already buy stuff like oat milk and it never bothered me that it's not actually milk. Same with plant based butters etc
- nemo44x 4y ago
  Well, it’s unnatural to begin with. Other good movements like “organic” worked hard for that label and the producers of those products work hard. I don’t believe oat milk should be allowed to use the word “milk” and if it wants to then should be prefaced with words describing it as “imitation milk” or similar.
  - 9dev 4y ago
    What would be the danger exactly if people confuse oat milk with cow milk?
  - fineIllregister 4y ago
    > unnatural You keep using that word, but you haven't explained what makes it unnatural. There are people who eat insects right now, and I'm willing to bet people have been eating insects as long as there have been people. It seems more "natural" to me than drinking another aninals lactations. I don't want to eat insects, but you've offered no explanation why it is insufficient to list the ingredients (which is already required, making it different from your "organic" example). Also, "milk" has referred to any thick, white substance for centuries now. Consider "milk of magnesia". It's the cow dairy industry that is trying to appropriate the word.
    - nemo44x 4y ago
      I’m referring to lab grown meat as unnatural. Insects are just plain gross to me. Although they are natural. But shouldn’t be called “flour”. It’s not.
      - __void 4y ago
        > But shouldn’t be called “flour”. It’s not. the definition of flour is "ground substances," see also bone flour, fossilized flour, stone flour...
        xdennis 4y ago
hdhrufjdi 4y ago
Why should one make such a law?
9dev 4y ago
This whole insect flour debate is so braindead. We have billions of people to feed. Dried and shredded insects provide a great protein yield, can be produced incredibly efficient, and aren’t as destructive to the planet as lifestock. Many cultures have been consuming insects for ages. There is nothing unsafe, unnatural, or otherwise „bad“ about using insects for food - other than an embarrassing, unreflective revulsion.
- nemo44x 4y ago
  My culture doesn’t consume insects and we don’t intend to start.
  - 9dev 4y ago
    Why don’t you intend to? Care to explain your rationale?
    - quenix 4y ago
      It's gross. That's it. Why should I, or anyone else, have to explain personal food choices to you? If finding insect-eating to be repulsive is embedded in a culture, who are you to question it or demand change/an explanation?
      - 9dev 4y ago
        I didn't demand anything, but merely ask if you'd like to provide a little more detail. I see that you're not open for intellectual discussions that question your beliefs though, so I guess we can cut this thread here.
        _zpij 4y ago
        I don't understand this need to push eating insects onto people. The "intellectual" point of view makes it even funnier. Food is not just the sum of proteins and carbohydrates. It is wrong on so many levels to suggest that because insects are protein rich then they must be good. I was honestly shocked by Americans not being aware of the quality of their food - it's horrible. Even in Whole Foods, or more expensive supermarkets, most of the food products are just processed crap that comes in a box. Even the quality of vegetables and fruit is questionable, the bacon is by default sweetened with sugar. Every single European or far Easterner that comes to the US will gain 10kg without chaing their dietary habits. The reason is not too much food, or eating fast food, it is because the quality of food in the US is dreadful, all the way from the seed until the plate. So maybe you want to eat insects, but we do not, and there is an absolute consensus about that. Hopefully one day Americans will learn what food is really supposed to be like, and start fixing their country (and health).
Loughla 4y ago
>“unnatural food product” How is insect flour any more or less natural than processed and bleached wheat flour? I legitimately do not understand, other than the long tail of cultural norms. It's not any less natural.

000ooo000 4y ago

Define 'natural product'. I bet there are thousands of items on shelves now that aren't 'natural' but still escape this scrutiny, just due to having been around a while and flying under the radar.

fbn79 4y ago
Yes it's creazy. The only valid definition that comes to my mind of 'natural product' is "Existent before 1973".
- warrenm 4y ago
  Velveeta predates 1973 And there's nothing "natural" about it :)

fbn79 4y ago

As another Italiano I can totally confirm this.You can find here the most disparate and crazy proposals that are just clickbait nor will never be approved.

AlecSchueler 4y ago

Could you explain your reasoning? The unnatural food product stickers sounds like a health warning but for what? I already buy stuff like oat milk and it never bothered me that it's not actually milk. Same with plant based butters etc

nemo44x 4y ago
Well, it’s unnatural to begin with. Other good movements like “organic” worked hard for that label and the producers of those products work hard. I don’t believe oat milk should be allowed to use the word “milk” and if it wants to then should be prefaced with words describing it as “imitation milk” or similar.
- 9dev 4y ago
  What would be the danger exactly if people confuse oat milk with cow milk?
- fineIllregister 4y ago
  > unnatural You keep using that word, but you haven't explained what makes it unnatural. There are people who eat insects right now, and I'm willing to bet people have been eating insects as long as there have been people. It seems more "natural" to me than drinking another aninals lactations. I don't want to eat insects, but you've offered no explanation why it is insufficient to list the ingredients (which is already required, making it different from your "organic" example). Also, "milk" has referred to any thick, white substance for centuries now. Consider "milk of magnesia". It's the cow dairy industry that is trying to appropriate the word.
  - nemo44x 4y ago
    I’m referring to lab grown meat as unnatural. Insects are just plain gross to me. Although they are natural. But shouldn’t be called “flour”. It’s not.
    - __void 4y ago
      > But shouldn’t be called “flour”. It’s not. the definition of flour is "ground substances," see also bone flour, fossilized flour, stone flour...
      - xdennis 4y ago

hdhrufjdi 4y ago

Why should one make such a law?

9dev 4y ago

This whole insect flour debate is so braindead. We have billions of people to feed. Dried and shredded insects provide a great protein yield, can be produced incredibly efficient, and aren’t as destructive to the planet as lifestock. Many cultures have been consuming insects for ages. There is nothing unsafe, unnatural, or otherwise „bad“ about using insects for food - other than an embarrassing, unreflective revulsion.

nemo44x 4y ago
My culture doesn’t consume insects and we don’t intend to start.
- 9dev 4y ago
  Why don’t you intend to? Care to explain your rationale?
  - quenix 4y ago
    It's gross. That's it. Why should I, or anyone else, have to explain personal food choices to you? If finding insect-eating to be repulsive is embedded in a culture, who are you to question it or demand change/an explanation?
    - 9dev 4y ago
      I didn't demand anything, but merely ask if you'd like to provide a little more detail. I see that you're not open for intellectual discussions that question your beliefs though, so I guess we can cut this thread here.
      - _zpij 4y ago
        I don't understand this need to push eating insects onto people. The "intellectual" point of view makes it even funnier. Food is not just the sum of proteins and carbohydrates. It is wrong on so many levels to suggest that because insects are protein rich then they must be good. I was honestly shocked by Americans not being aware of the quality of their food - it's horrible. Even in Whole Foods, or more expensive supermarkets, most of the food products are just processed crap that comes in a box. Even the quality of vegetables and fruit is questionable, the bacon is by default sweetened with sugar. Every single European or far Easterner that comes to the US will gain 10kg without chaing their dietary habits. The reason is not too much food, or eating fast food, it is because the quality of food in the US is dreadful, all the way from the seed until the plate. So maybe you want to eat insects, but we do not, and there is an absolute consensus about that. Hopefully one day Americans will learn what food is really supposed to be like, and start fixing their country (and health).

Loughla 4y ago

>“unnatural food product” How is insect flour any more or less natural than processed and bleached wheat flour? I legitimately do not understand, other than the long tail of cultural norms. It's not any less natural.