Cultivated lab-grown meat has become a major talking point in the U.S. ever since the Florida Senate implemented a ban that prohibited the production and selling of lab-grown meat within its borders. This bill - which will most likely be signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis - would make Florida the first state in the U.S. to ban lab-grown meat.
Lab-grown meat was first developed in the Netherlands in 2013, with the USDA and FDA approving it for sale in the summer of 2023 after years of extensive research. It involves the cultivation of animal cells in a lab, where it is cultivated, harvested, and processed before being shipped for consumption. The benefits it provides are the same nutritional ones as traditional meat, with a reduced impact on the environment as well as there being no need to slaughter animals.
Despite this, the Florida government has labeled lab-grown meat as “fake meat” and likened it to an unnatural protein paste - one that causes cancer where its long-term health effects have not been studied enough. Furthermore, heavy lobbying and protest from cattle ranchers have stated that the meat negatively affects their industry, a sentiment that many Florida representatives agree with. This resounding opposition has resulted in bills HB 1071 and SB 1084 being passed.
Other states are also following suit; Alabama has implemented a ban on selling and producing lab-grown meat, making it a Class C felony, while Tennessee, Arizona, and West Virginia are proposing similar bans that cite protecting the cattle industry as their biggest concern. This sentiment is even growing overseas; Italy became the first country to ban lab-grown meat in 2023, vowing to outlaw “synthetic foods” and protect consumers. Many farmers - including the World Farmers’ Organization - have also opposed the expansion of this industry, citing it as “unnatural” and negatively impacting the livelihoods of many in the meat industry.
Nevertheless, Good Meat - one of the only two approved lab-grown meat businesses in the U.S. - CEO Josh Tetrick espouses the benefits of lab-grown meat and disputes claims of unnaturalness, claiming it is no more natural than factory farms. Other lawmakers and experts argue against the slew of recent legislation, saying it is backed on misinformed science and ignorance. With the possibility to promote food independence and innovation, many claim that lab-grown meat is an important part of the future, and that customers should be given a chance to try it and think for themselves.
At the moment, cultivated meat is already expensive to acquire, and the current political landscape could make it downright impossible to procure. While the industry is not predicted to die outright - with other countries like Singapore and South Korea being proponents of lab-grown meat - it will have to deal with these new regulations and convince the public of its viability if it wishes to grow in the U.S.
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