Alabama has become the second U.S. state to ban cultivated meat, an alternative protein produced from animal cells. The bill, proposed by Senator Jack Williams, vice chair of the Senate Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry Committee, was signed into law on May 7 by Governor Kay Ivey. The law prohibits the “manufacture, sale, or distribution of food products made from cultured animal cells.”
This move follows Florida’s recent ban on lab-grown meat, signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis on May 1. “We stand with agriculture, we stand with the cattle ranchers, we stand with our farmers, because we understand it’s important for the backbone of the state,” DeSantis said at a press conference marking the start of National Beef Month. He added, “Today, Florida is fighting back against the global elite’s plan to force the world to eat meat grown in a petri dish or bugs to achieve their authoritarian goals.”
As expected, there has been significant criticism of this ban on lab grown meat, primarily from radical climate activists who argue that traditional meat farming is harmful to the environment. One notable critic has been a company called “Upside Foods:” one of only two cultivated meat firms to receive clearance from the USDA to sell their chicken products in the U.S.. Upside Foods has received investments from food giants Cargill and Tyson Foods, as well as billionaires Richard Branson and Bill Gates. Here are their thoughts on Florida and Alabama banning lab-grown meat:
“Legislation that bans cultivated meat is a reckless move that ignores food safety experts and science, stifles consumer choice, and hinders American innovation,” said Sean Edgett, chief legal officer of Upside Foods, in a statement to CBS MoneyWatch. “Major meat companies have invested in cultivated meat to enhance supply chain resilience and meet rising global demand for meat. We should be embracing innovation for a better food future.”