Ban

mississippi sign

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Politics & Law

Mississippi Becomes Third State to Ban Lab-Grown Meat, Following Florida and Alabama

Mississippi has become the third state in the United States to enact a law prohibiting the manufacturing, sale, or distribution of cultivated meat. Governor Tate Reeves declined to sign House Bill 1006, which effectively bans lab-grown meat in the state, but because he did not veto it, the bill will still become law. The bill, passed unanimously by both the Mississippi House of Representatives and Senate, will become law on July 1, 2025. It establishes penalties for violations, including a fine of up to $500 and possible jail time of up to three months. Legislative background The legislation was introduced by Republican Representatives Bill Pigott and Lester Carpenter in January 2025 and is the first anti-cultivated meat bill to pass during the current legislative session. …

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A cultivated chicken sandwich

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Politics & Law

South Dakota Becomes Latest US State to Propose a Cultivated Meat Ban

A legislative committee in South Dakota has put forward a bill that would ban the manufacture, sale, and distribution of cultivated meat in the state. As reported by South Dakota Searchlight, the bill has already gained the approval of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee with an 8-5 vote. Furthermore, another bill that would restrict state spending on cultivated meat has gained unanimous approval. However, more steps are required for the bills to become law, and both will need to pass the state House of Representatives. The news comes just weeks after a bill to ensure the clear labeling of cultivated meat products passed both chambers in the state. It is currently awaiting a decision by the governor. Alabama and Florida have already banned …

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Uncommon bacon

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Politics & Law

South Dakota and South Carolina Advance Bills Mandating Clear Labeling of Cultivated Meat

Lawmakers in South Dakota and South Carolina have advanced bills requiring cultivated meat products to be clearly labeled, reflecting the growing interest in transparency for consumers navigating alternative proteins. South Dakota on defining “cell-cultured protein” Last week, South Dakota’s House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee unanimously approved House Bill 1022, which would mandate labeling for lab-grown meat products, defined as “cell-cultured protein.” The bill, proposed by the state Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR), now moves to the full House of Representatives. The legislation specifies that cell-cultured protein refers to products “made wholly or in part from any cell culture or the DNA of a host animal, grown or cultivated outside a live animal.” Any such product not labeled as “cell-cultured” or “lab-grown” would …

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Governor Jim Pillen nebraska

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Cultivated Meat

Nebraska Moves to Ban Cultivated Meat, Calling It “Unproven” and “Adulterated”

Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen, in collaboration with state senators, has announced the introduction of three new bills aimed at bolstering traditional agriculture in the state. Among these is Legislative Bill 246 (LB246), which seeks to ban the manufacture, sale, and distribution of cultivated meat products in Nebraska.  Governor Pillen stated during a press conference, “As the first farmer-governor in more than 100 years, I know how important it is that we take steps to preserve our way of life, for the benefit of those who consume our products. “We feed the world and save the planet. To ensure that we can do that for generations to come, we need to take steps that protect our water supply, the data that farmers use to improve their …

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Europa-Flagge im Wind

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Politics & Law

EU Commission Deems Hungary’s Proposed Cultivated Meat Ban ‘Unjustified'”

Following the TRIS assessment, the European Commission has deemed the Hungarian ban on cultured meat “unjustified” and potentially harmful to the European single market, reports the Good Food Institute. According to the Commission, the ban could disrupt the harmonized authorization procedure for novel foods at the EU level, which involves scientific evaluation by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). The Commission and some Member States also highlighted that Hungary had not provided evidence against cultivated meat to support the ban. Hungary proposed a ban on cultivated meat this July; the TRIS procedure prevents national parliaments from passing bills that could affect the European Single Market without consulting other member states and the Commission. The assesment of Hungary’s proposed ban underscores the importance of European review in …

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Image: Governor Jim Pillen on Facebook
Politics & Law

Nebraska Governor Signs Executive Order Against Cultivated Meat, Aims for Full Ban in 2025

Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen has signed an executive order prohibiting state agencies from procuring cultivated meat products. The order also bars entities that contract with the state from “discriminating against natural-meat products” by choosing cultivated foods. Pillen now reportedly hopes to bring in legislation in 2025 that would prohibit any sale of cultivated meat products in Nebraska. Speaking at a news conference at Oak Barn Beef in West Point, he said Nebraska was entering “a full-blown attack on lab-grown meats and fake meat”. When asked if the executive order would restrict consumer choice, Pillen replied, “If there are Nebraskans that want to buy lab-grown meat, good for them, they’re just not going to do it in Nebraska.” A proposed cultivated meat ban in Tennessee was …

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Upside Foods, Florida You've Been Served

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Company News

Institute for Justice and UPSIDE Foods File Lawsuit Against State of Florida

In partnership with the cultivated chicken company UPSIDE Foods, the Institute for Justice (IJ) has filed a lawsuit against the Florida law banning cultivated meat. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the bill prohibiting the production, distribution, and sale of cultivated meat in the Sunshine State on May 1, 2024, and it went into effect on July 1. The lawsuit, filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of Florida, argues that the ban on cultivated meat violates Constitutional provisions against protectionist measures “designed to favor in-state businesses at the expense of out-of-state competitors,” IJ stated. Here you can view a video created by IJ discussing the firm’s National Food Freedom initiative. The video features attorney Paul Sherman and Upside CEO Uma Valeti speaking on …

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Organisations and brands:

UMAMI Bioworks and Shiok Meats, have merged to establish a combined entity that will bring cultivated seafood closer to commercial viability.

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Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

Roundup: The Biggest News in Cultivated Meat and Seafood from the 1st Half of 2024

Although the cellular agriculture industry is traversing a consolidation phase and is facing the challenge of slower investor interest, the sector is building itself from the ground up, achieving all sorts of significant milestones — the first steps of what is set to become the fourth agricultural revolution. Here we look back on the biggest news stories in cultivated meat and seafood from H1 2024, and there have been several standout moments across different categories, as follows. Regulatory approvals France’s Gourmey became the first-ever company to apply to sell cultivated meat in the EU, marking a significant regulatory milestone. It submitted an application to EFSA for cultivated foie gras.  GOOD Meat announced the world’s first retail sales of cultivated meat in Singapore, making cultivated meat available for …

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Meatable, a Dutch producer of cell-based pork meat, has become the first company to hold an officially approved cultivated meat tasting in the European Union and the first in the Netherlands.

Image courtesy of Meatable © Bart Maat
Cultivated Meat

Austrian Agriculture Officials to Use Negative Survey Results to Advocate Against Cultivated Meat

A study commissioned by Austria’s Chamber of Agriculture and Forestry in Carinthia (a southern region in the Alps and and least densely populated state), found that 90% of respondents are unwilling to eat cultivated meat regularly, 72% expressed health risk concerns, and 82% even want to ban the technology. The survey questioned over 800 people aged 16 and older, and, according to Deputy Governor Martin Gruber (ÖVP), participants were informed neutrally and objectively about the production process before being asked whether they would consume “lab-grown” meat. “This vehement rejection is a confirmation of our fight against laboratory meat, plain and simple. It’s about preventing this fake meat on the EU market,” Gruber told local media. Siegfried Huber, President of the Carinthia Chamber of Agriculture, said, …

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CULT Food Science

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Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

CULT Food Science Pens Open Letter to Florida Government Opposing Cultivated Meat Ban

Cellular agriculture investment firm CULT Food Science Corp. has published an open letter to the Florida Government expressing the company’s opposition to the state’s ban on the sales of cultivated meat. “The notion that this meat is fake or unhealthy is simply wrong,” urges the letter. This May, Governor Ron DeSantis made Florida the first US state to impose a ban on cell-cultivated meat, with the signing of Senate Bill 1084, declaring: “We’re fighting back against an ideology that ultimately wants to eliminate meat production in the US and around the globe. In the State of Florida, we’ve put down the marker very clearly: we stand with agriculture.” He added, “Take your fake lab-grown meat elsewhere. We’re not doing that in the state of Florida.” …

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Organisations and brands:

matrix f.t.'s cultivated chicken nuggets on a plate with sauce and two strawberries.

© Matrix F.T.
Cultivated Meat

Ohio Rep. Introduces Bill to Ban Federal Support for Cultivated Meat, Citing Threats to Health and Farmers 

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 …

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Alabama has become the second state in the USA to prohibit the sale and production of cultivated meat.

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Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

Alabama Becomes 2nd State to Ban Cultivated Meat, Restricting Sustainable Options for Millions

Following Florida’s recent ban, Alabama has become the second state in the USA to prohibit the sale and production of cultivated meat. This technology grows meat directly from cells without raising and slaughtering animals. Alabama’s Governor Kay Ivey signed the SB23 bill into law on Wednesday, making it enforceable as a class C misdemeanor. Those found guilty can face a maximum jail sentence of three months and a fine of $500. Jack Williams, vice chair of the Senate Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry Committee, sponsored and proposed the bill, carried in the House by State Representative Danny Crawford (R-Athens).  Senator Williams emphasized that Alabamians want transparency in their food, describing lab-grown meat as cells with chemicals that are not proven safe to eat. He added that Alabama aims …

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A cultivated chicken sandwich

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Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

Florida Senate Bans Sales of Cultivated Meat 

Yesterday, the Florida Senate approved a bill banning the sale of cultivated meat, making Florida the first state in the country to do so. As reported by local media, the Republican-controlled Senate voted 26-10 to pass the bill, which would make changes related to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. All the votes against the bill were from Democrats. R-Tampa representative Jay Collins, the bill’s sponsor, stated that although research over time may prove that cultivated meat is feasible, there is a need for more certainty on its safety. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a strong supporter of the ban, has previously called cultivated meat “fake meat.”  Research on cultivated meat continues to be allowed since NASA and other space researchers are developing the …

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