Florida now poised to become the first state in the nation to ban lab-grown meat

Close up view of a scientist's hand holding a cultivated meat sample with tweezers. Credit: Getty Images

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The GOP-controlled House of Representatives on Wednesday approved legislation that would prohibit the manufacturing for sale and distribution of lab-grown or “cultivated meat” in the Sunshine State.

Violators would be subject to a misdemeanor of the second degree.

The bill now goes to Gov. Ron DeSantis for his consideration — and he earlier indicated his support, saying, “We’re not going to do that fake meat.”

Advocates for cultivated meat say that the product could provide a viable alternative to the industrial meat industry, which they maintain is deleterious to the environment.

While several states have passed laws regarding the labeling of cultivated meat in recent years, no state has gone as far as the Florida Legislature in banning it outright — though there are similar proposals currently moving in Arizona, Alabama and New Hampshire. The nation of Italy also banned cultivated meat last November as well.

The agriculture establishment in Florida is in strong support of the legislation. That includes the Florida Farm Bureau, the Florida Poultry Federation, the Florida Cattlemen’s Association, and the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association.

In debate earlier in the week, Democrats criticized the proposal on several fronts.

“I don’t think the state of Florida should be choosing winners and losers and allow corporate capture to take place, where we’re basically bending laws to benefit specific industries,” said Orlando Democratic Rep. Anna Eskamani on Tuesday. “I actually don’t think cultivated meat is going to threaten any industry, it’s not going to be an option that people choose for themselves.”

“My concern is the message we’re sending to businesses, to new technologies that are looking for a new place to invest in this country and that they might not look at the state of Florida,” said Broward County Democratic Rep. Christine Hunschofsky on Tuesday. “Every time we’re changing the goalposts. We’re acting from a place of fear, as opposed to a place of fostering a spirit of innovation.”

Jacksonville Republican Rep. Dean Black is a cattle rancher who said that his family has been raising cattle in Florida since 1803, and he has “sold hundreds of thousands of pounds of meat.”

“Cultured meat is not meat,” Black emphasized on Wednesday. “It comes from a single cellular source. They actually can develop several lines of cells, but it in no way replicates the actual chemistry of meat. It is more of a monoculture, and because it doesn’t resist spoilage. In fact, because really what it is a petri dish. It is simply a bacterial culture. It lacks the natural resistance to bacteria and viruses that we don’t even test for.”

After the House vote, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson issued a statement:

“Food security is national security, and we all have a responsibility to ensure Floridians have access to a safe, affordable, and abundant food supply. This legislation is a reflection of our continued commitment to supporting and protecting Florida’s farmers, ranchers, and growers and enhancing consumer protection and transparency.”

The vote in the House was 86-27. The Senate passed the measure 26-10 last week.

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