Bans on Cultivated Meat Highlight Its Potential

On July 1, Florida became the first state to ban the production and sale of cultivated meat. Alabama is set to follow on October 1, and Nebraska’s governor has signaled plans to push similar legislation.

At first glance, these moves seem like blows to the cultivated meat industry, but they actually underscore the technology’s growing potential—and the perceived threat it poses to traditional livestock sectors.

The bans are framed as consumer protection, though the risk to consumers is vague. Federal regulators, including the USDA and FDA, have already given cultivated meat a green light, citing no food safety concerns.

In June 2023, the USDA even granted inspection rights to two companies to begin selling cultivated chicken in the U.S.

The FDA and USDA’s joint regulatory framework, established in 2019, ensures cultivated meat goes through rigorous safety and marketing standards, similar to other food products.

Given this oversight, what exactly are consumers being “protected” from? The answer seems to lie not in consumer safety but in safeguarding conventional meat producers from a future competitor.

Ironically, cultivated meat is still in its infancy. Large-scale production is at least a decade away, with the necessary infrastructure still in development.

As of now, cultivated meat is far from a retail or foodservice staple—brief trials at a few restaurants are the most the public has seen. So, why the rush to ban a product that isn’t widely available?

These efforts mirror the tactics used to resist genetically modified organisms (GMOs) years ago, where misinformation stoked fear and slowed progress. But, just as with GMOs, the momentum for cultivated meat won’t be halted.

While the bans may temporarily slow its progress, cultivated meat’s advantages—such as animal welfare, sustainability, and potential health benefits—are too compelling for consumers to ignore in the long run.

Ultimately, the more these bans pop up, the more they reveal the deep concern the conventional meat industry has about this emerging technology.

Stay informed on how bans like these affect the future of cultivated meat—visit our homepage for updates on industry trends.