ROME — The Italian Chamber of Deputies voted on Nov. 16 to pass a law that would ban the marketing and production of cultivated meat in the country. The plan was already approved by the Italian Senate.

The legislation states that companies that work with cultivated meats could face fines between 10,000 and 60,000 Euros for each violation.

“Defense of health, of the Italian production system, of thousands of jobs, of our culture and tradition,” said Francesco Lollobrigida, Italy’s agriculture minister. “With the law approved today, Italy is the first nation in the world that is safe from the social and economic risks of synthetic food.”

Another part of the proposed laws said that companies cannot use meat-related names like ‘salami’ or ‘steak’ for plant-based products, according to the proposal.

The Good Food Institute (GFI) of Europe trade group that advocates for meat alternatives, came out against the proposed measure by the Italian government. 

“This bill not only deprives consumers of choice but also isolates Italy from the investment and job creation offered by this burgeoning industry,” said Francesca Gallelli, public affair consultant at GFI Europe. “We welcome the intention of the government to submit the law to the EU scrutiny, and we hope member states can voice their concerns regarding its potential violation of the single market.”

As of September, the European Union has not approved any measures involving cultivated meat and it is not allowed to be sold on the continent.

Cultivated meat products have been approved in Singapore and the United States.