Company producing lab-created meat sues over Florida prohibition

A company producing lab-grown meat has filed a lawsuit challenging a recent law in Florida that prohibits the sale of this type of product. The company argues that the law unfairly benefits local farmers over out-of-state competitors. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida by the Institute for Justice, among other groups including the manufacturer of the cultivated meat.

The sale of cell-cultured meat, which is considered a more ethical and sustainable option compared to conventionally raised meat, was approved by U.S. regulators in June 2023. However, states like Florida and Alabama have raised concerns about the impact of cultivated meat on their agriculture industries and have implemented bans on its sale.

In response to the lawsuit, a spokesperson for Governor Ron DeSantis referred to his previous statements supporting the ban on cultivated meat. Governor DeSantis emphasized the importance of standing with agriculture and local farmers, stating that fake lab-grown meat should go elsewhere.

Before the ban took effect, the manufacturer of the lab-grown meat held a tasting event in Miami where guests were served cultivated chicken dishes. The CEO of the company, Uma Valeti, highlighted the taste and quality of the product, expressing the belief that consumers should have the freedom to choose what they want to eat.

Valeti clarified that the meat produced by his company does not come from a traditional lab setting but is created in a facility similar to a brewery or dairy processing plant. The lawsuit raises questions about the constitutionality of restricting the sale of cultivated meat in Florida.

Kate Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.