Warren Davidson, a Republican Party member and US representative for Ohio’s 8th congressional district, has recently introduced the REAL Meat Act of 2024 to prohibit using federal funds for any activity related to cultivated meat, including research, production, promotion, and advertisement.
Rep. Davidson argues that cultivated meat poses health risks and threatens the livelihood of traditional meat producers. He calls for federal action to ensure taxpayer money isn’t spent on what he terms an “inferior, experimental product.” The legislation would also ban using this cell-based meat in federal nutrition programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Rep. Davidson said, “Fake cell-cultured meat not only poses a health risk to the human body, but it also threatens the livelihoods of America’s hard-working ranchers, livestock farmers, and butchers. Recently, laws prohibiting lab-grown meat have been passed in states like Florida and Alabama. Congress must act to ensure US taxpayers are not footing the bill for this inferior, experimental product.”
Limiting consumer choice?
Initially, the Real Marketing Edible Artificials Truthfully Act, also known as the Real MEAT Act, was introduced by Deb Fischer, senator of Nebraska (R-Neb) and a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee in 2019.
The legislation, endorsed by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) proposed clarifying the definitions of beef and pork for labeling purposes to mandate plant-based meat products to display “imitation” on their packaging or a statement indicating that products do not contain meat. Fischer reintroduced the Real MEAT Act last November.
In a similar move, earlier this year, the NCBA endorsed the Fair and Accurate Ingredient Representation on Labels Act of 2024 (FAIR Labels Act), a bipartisan bill initiated led by US Senator Roger Marshall to eliminate “deceptive labeling practices” on alternative meat products.
Meanwhile, Florida and Alabama have criminalized cultivated meat production and sale within their states. “We’re fighting back against an ideology that ultimately wants to eliminate meat production in the US and around the globe,” Ron DeSantis, Florida’s governor, said.
To celebrate “freedom of food” and allow Floridians to taste cultivated meat before the ban takes effect on July 1, the cultivated chicken company UPSIDE Foods will host a free tasting of its products in Miami, Florida, on June 27. At the event, the company will serve dishes featuring its cultivated chicken fillet.
“… people should have the right to choose what goes on their plates”
Dr. Uma Valeti, CEO and founder of UPSIDE, shared, “We believe that cultivated meat is an essential part of the future of food and that people should have the right to choose what goes on their plates. This law disregards food safety experts, limits consumer choice, and stifles American innovation. It’s a setback for progress, job creation, and Florida’s potential in a new industry.”
