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The Lone Star State has officially outlawed lab-grown meat in its stores and restaurants.
Gov. Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 261, which took effect Sept. 1, banning the sale of cell-cultured meat in Texas until Sept. 7, 2027.
Many livestock industry leaders hailed the bill as a “massive win” for ranchers and producers.
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Texas Department of Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller touted the victory in a news release.
“Texans have a God-given right to know what’s on their plate, and for millions of Texans, it better come from a pasture, not a lab,” he said.
“It’s plain cowboy logic that we must safeguard our real, authentic meat industry from synthetic alternatives.”
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Cultivated products are grown in steel tanks using cells from a living animal, a fertilized egg or a storage bank, according to The Associated Press.
The cells are fed with special blends of water, sugar, fats and vitamins. Once they’ve grown, they’re formed into cutlets, nuggets and other shapes.
“This ban slams the door on choice, when all we’re asking is the freedom for Texans to decide for themselves.”
In 2023, two companies received both USDA and FDA approval to sell cultivated meat: Upside Foods and GOOD Meats, both headquartered in California, as Fox News Digital previously reported.
Some people are dissatisfied with the decision by Texas, citing constitutional concerns.
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The Institute for Justice (IJ), along with cultivated food producers Wildtype and UPSIDE Foods, filed a lawsuit against Texas on Wednesday.
“Texas has always been a state with a live-and-let-live mentality, especially when it comes to the kitchen,” IJ senior attorney Paul Sherman said in a news release.
“No one is forcing Texans to eat anything they don’t want. But at the same time, the government shouldn’t prevent Texans from eating something they do want.”
Wildtype co-founder Aryé Elfenbein added, “This ban slams the door on choice, when all we’re asking is the freedom for Texans to decide for themselves.”
Texas has become the seventh state to ban the sale, joining Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Montana, Indiana and Nebraska.
Proponents of lab-grown meat cite potential benefits for both the environment and animal welfare.
But legislation known as the School Lunch Integrity Act of 2024, introduced by Sens. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), is aiming to prevent lab-grown meat from being part of the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program, Fox News Digital previously reported.
Melissa Rudy of Fox News Digital, as well as The Associated Press, contributed reporting.
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