U.S. State Bans on Lab-Grown Meats Challenged in Court (austinchronicle.com)
- Reference: 0180982374
- News link: https://science.slashdot.org/story/26/03/14/033215/us-state-bans-on-lab-grown-meats-challenged-in-court
- Source link: https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/texas-was-on-the-cutting-edge-of-lab-grown-meat-until-the-state-banned-it/
But California company Wildtype sells lab-grown salmon — and is suing Texas over its ban on cell-cultivated meat, [2]the Austin Chronicle reported this week . The company's founder says lab-grown salmon eliminates the mercury, microplastic, and antibiotic contamination commonly found in seafood. And one chef in Austin, Texas says lab-grown salmon is "awesome" and "something new"-- at the only Texas restaurant that was serving it last summer:
> Just two months after the salmon hit the menu, Texas banned the sale of cell-cultivated meat... A lawsuit from Wildtype and one other FDA-approved cultivated meat company [argues] it's anti-capitalism and unconstitutional... This law "was not enacted to protect the health and safety of Texas consumers — indeed, it allows the continued distribution of cultivated meat to consumers so long as it is not sold. Instead, SB 261 was enacted to stifle the growth of the cultivated meat industry to protect Texas' conventional agricultural industry from innovative competition that is exclusively based outside of Texas...." [according to the lawsuit]. It was filed in September, immediately after the ban took effect, and cell-cultivated companies are awaiting judgment.
That Texas ban would last two years, [3]notes U.S. News and World Reports , adding that Alabama, Florida, Indiana, Mississippi, Montana, and Nebraska have also passed bans, some temporary "on the manufacturing, sale or distribution of cell-cultured meat." Meanwhile, a new five-year moratorium on lab-grown meat was signed this week by the governor of South Dakota "after rejecting a permanent ban last month," [4]reports South Dakota Searchlight :
> The [5]new law bars the sale, manufacture or distribution of "cell-cultured protein" products from July 1 this year through June 30, 2031. Violations are [6]punishable by up to 30 days in jail, a fine of up to $500, or both.
"But supporters of lab-grown meat are not going down without a fight," [7]adds U.S. News and World Reports , with another lawsuit also filed challenging a ban in Florida:
> When Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the ban in Florida, he [8]described it as "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." He added that his administration "will save our beef."
[1] https://texasagriculture.gov/News-Events/Article/10442/COMMISSIONER-MILLER-PRAISES-TEXAS-LEGISLATURE-FOR-PUTTING-A-FORK-IN-LAB-GROWN-M
[2] https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/texas-was-on-the-cutting-edge-of-lab-grown-meat-until-the-state-banned-it/
[3] https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/2025-12-23/states-try-to-snuff-out-lab-grown-meat-before-it-really-starts
[4] https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2026/03/11/governor-signs-lab-grown-meat-moratorium-property-protections-crypto-national-security-bills/
[5] https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/27110
[6] https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/22-6-2
[7] https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/2025-12-23/states-try-to-snuff-out-lab-grown-meat-before-it-really-starts
[8] https://www.flgov.com/eog/news/press/2024/governor-desantis-signs-legislation-keep-lab-grown-meat-out-florida
"Cowboy logic" (Score:2, Insightful)
What the heck does "Cowboy logic" even mean and is it supposed to be conveying something positive here?
If Texans "have a God-given right to know what's on their plate" then just label the food. Simple.
Or do they specifically only want food with "mercury, microplastic, and antibiotic contamination" because cowboys like that shit or something? I guess if it's cowboys then add "lead poisoning" from whatever shot they used?
Re: (Score:3)
> What the heck does "Cowboy logic" even mean and is it supposed to be conveying something positive here?
From TFS: "It's plain cowboy logic that we must safeguard our real, authentic meat industry from synthetic alternatives. " [emphasis mine] And that tells you everything you need to know.
> If Texans "have a God-given right to know what's on their plate" then just label the food. Simple.
This, in spades.
Re: (Score:2)
Truth in labeling laws. If one does NOT want all those microplastics, then one must have some means of differentiating synthetic (uncontaminated) product from that which grazes on the mid-Pacific garbage gyre.
On the other hand, labeling everything as "fish" (or beef) with no distinction will allow us to comply with the Boldt decision by delivering the tribes their allocation of salmon in 55 gallon drums. And quit screwing with all the culverts and hydroelectric dams.
Re: (Score:2)
> The people's elected representatives passed the ban.
> I understand the Texas beef lobby is powerful, but our laws get made by convincing people. So get convincing; don't sue.
The people's elected representatives can do good things, and silly things.
If they do silly things, there are more ways to address it than trying to un convince them of what they did. One of those ways is in court, which is where the synthetic-protein lobby is now. Another is to mount a political campaign to promote candidates for the next election who will repeal the ban.
> You can't argue that there's some fundamental civil right being infringed here. The legislature has the power to do this.
There are more arguments to make in court besides a violation of civil rights. And the legislature may -- or may not -- have the power to d
Who doesn't want this? (Score:2)
Isn't it the desired outcome? The rich sociopaths rile up the ignorant to help the rich sociopaths maintain control and prevent other rich sociopaths from horning in on their business.
We've seen the elections, this is what the public in those states voted for: "Rule me with an iron fist, daddy!"
If Toby Seba's prediction pans out (Score:4, Interesting)
He predicted in 2024 that by 2035 large scale raising of animals is going to go away. Small & medium boutique operations will remain for those wanting to enjoy eating meat at luxury prices.
Lab grown meat is already at parity with the cost of a regular burger patty. If they can get it down to 1/2 or even 1/3 we'll see if those bans hold up.
The Strait of Hormuz is currently closed indefinitely and it's not just oil and natural gas which flows through there but a significant percentage of inputs for farms. If these labs are less affected by these skyrocketing prices they may not even need to make the process more efficient.
Beef prices are currently high because the number of cattle is low. One reason is Texas may not be able to supply enough water to supply homes, datacenters, ranches AND growing animal feed. Most food in the USA is grown to feed animals. "To raise a steer takes enough water to float a destroyer."
California is finally out of drought but California has long-term water issues as well. Central Valley farmers are draining ground water at such a fast rate that land is sinking and threatening the California Aqueduct, which farms, businesses and 27 million people depend on.
Lessons on economics (Score:2)
1) Plutocracy = rich rule (Out competed by all below)
2) Mercantilism = Balance of trade, controlled by Tariffs. (Out competed by Capitalism)
3) Capitalism = Free market (no government control except for areas where non-market forces affect the market: law enforcement, military, ...)
4) Communism = Government controls ALL markets and owns everything (out competed by Capitalism and Mercantilism)
5) Socialism = Unclear word. Originally meaning communism plus private ownership of non-economics assets but co-opte
The free market party (Score:4, Insightful)
will save you from yourself.
Re: (Score:3)
The Land of the Free is really becoming the Land of the Constrained. Pretty soon it will also be the Land of the Non-voter.
Re: (Score:2)
> Pretty soon it will also be the Land of the Non-voter.
TBF in a very real way it already is
Re: (Score:2)
Becoming? It already is out here on the left coast. Our legislature is a circus and important decisions are made by the state supreme court (not that the administration actully complies with its decisions).
Re: (Score:2)
Correct. The plan is to disenfranchise anyone without the means to own a passport, a hunting license, or enhanced drivers license. Notice that this is asymmetrical in that other types of identification such as student ID's are not acceptable forms of identification.
This will continue until only the rich and powerful are able to vote, just like it was when you had to own an appreciable amount of property to vote in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
When we reach that point, we will essentially become a
Re: The free market party (Score:1)
> Notice that this is asymmetrical in that other types of identification such as student ID's are not acceptable forms of identification.
I don't know which schools you've attended, but every one I've attended doesn't really do a whole lot to verify whether you're a resident, or much of anything really, because they're not intended for that. All they're intended for is to give you access to school facilities. And none of the ones I've had have an expiration date. They're also not state issued. You may as well argue that your employee ID should be an acceptable form of ID anywhere.
A hunting license is state issued, and often states issue diffe
Re:The free market party (Score:4, Insightful)
Bullshit. They are saving beef producers from competition.
Not that I particularly want lab grown meat. I'm a vegetarian because I don't particularly like the taste of the meat. Not because of health or saving animals.
I do like to think that a properly advanced civilization wouldn't need to kill intelligent beings to eat. But I mean if it's one thing the last two years have shown me is that we are not a properly advanced civilization... So I can't exactly blame us.