TALLAHASSEE, Fla. \u2014 A federal appeals court upheld Florida\u2019s ban on cultivated meat Monday, allowing the state to continue prohibiting the manufacture and sale of lab-grown products.<\/p>\n
The state law SB 1084, which took effect in July 2024, bans the manufacture, sale, and distribution of cultivated meat. Florida was the first to enact such a ban, followed by six other states.<\/p>\n
The three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued the ruling, finding the state\u2019s prohibition does not conflict with federal laws regulating poultry for human consumption. This follows the law\u2019s implementation in July 2024.<\/p>\n
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the bill into law and has praised the court\u2019s decision to uphold it. DeSantis previously described the legislation as a defense for the state\u2019s consumers. He defended the measure as \u201ca shield against efforts to force fake food onto Floridians\u2019 plates.\u201d<\/p>\n
Upside Foods, based in California, produces lab-grown chicken from animal cells and petitioned regulators to approve its sale.<\/p>\n
The federal government cleared the way for the industry years ago, with the FDA approving lab-grown meat for sale in November 2022. The Florida ban and similar laws in other states followed as the industry scaled up.<\/p>\n
Florida was the first state to ban cultivated meat, with several others\u2014Alabama, Indiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Texas\u2014following suit. These laws typically prohibit manufacturing, selling, and distributing such products within state borders.<\/p>\n
Advocates for cultivated meat criticize state bans, saying they suppress industry growth, threaten jobs, and hinder free-market competition before new products establish themselves.<\/p>\n
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