Florida bans lab-grown meat
- Florida is banning the cultivation, sale and distribution of lab-grown meat
- Gov. Ron DeSantis claims it is part of 'authoritarian' plans
- Opponents say the law removes consumer choice and limits innovation
(NewsNation) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation Wednesday banning lab-grown meat in the state, claiming it is being pushed for “authoritarian goals.”
The technology to produce lab-grown meat is still in development, though two companies recently received approval to sell lab-grown chicken.
Lab-grown meat usually begins with a sample from animal cells that is fed with essential ingredients like vitamins and amino acids to produce meat.
Florida isn’t the only state to try to ban the production and sale of meat grown in a lab, with Alabama, Arizona and Tennessee also attempting to ban the product.
DeSantis said “global elites” are pushing lab-grown meat and said the bill was an effort to “save our beef.”
Advocates of lab-grown meat hope that process will be refined to be more climate-friendly than regular meat, using less land and water to produce. Animal agriculture accounts for 15% to 19.6% of emissions that contribute to climate change and is the leading cause of deforestation, according to Our World in Data.
Lab-grown meat is also produced in a controlled environment, reducing the chances of transmitting food-borne illness caused by various pathogens and also doesn’t have antibiotic residue that can contribute to the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Those opposed to lab-grown meat have cast doubt on the safety of the product and expressed concern over the impacts on the agricultural industry. The cattle industry has lobbied heavily against lab-grown meat.
The U.S. and China are also the leaders in developing the techniques to grow meat in a lab and opponents of lab-grown meat bans have suggested they could hurt the U.S. on the global change, allowing China to pull ahead in the research.
Even some in the meat industry pushed back, saying bans remove consumer choice and stifle innovation.
While the legislation prohibits the cultivation, sale and distribution of cultivated meat, it does not prohibit research into the technology. The exception was included because of fears that it would impact research being done on ways to cultivate meat for space-travel.