Sicurezza alimentare e nuovi prodotti alimentari

Synthetic biology can play a major role in the production of foodstuffs in the near future. Yet, the legal framework to be applied to this group of technologies has been little explored so far. The paper compares two different ways to govern synthetic biology technologies used to produce foodstuffs: one, represented by European Regulation 258/1997, is characterized by a cautious approach to the so called novel foods; the other, proper of the US legal system, is less wary to allow the use of new technologies in food manufacturing. Nonetheless, both the paradigms show not only weaknesses when applied to the synthetic biology realm, but also the presence of elements of change which might alter the future regulatory landscape.