Texas, Six States Ban Lab-Grown Meat Over Safety, Agriculture Concerns

Several states, including Nebraska and Texas, have passed laws banning the production and sale of lab-grown meat, citing concerns about consumer protection, food safety, and the impact on traditional ranching industries. Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen signed legislation prohibiting lab-grown meat to support local ranchers and maintain the integrity of the state's agricultural legacy, emphasizing that lab-grown meat is an unproven and dishonestly labeled product. Texas will become the seventh state to enact such a ban, with bipartisan support for Senate Bill 261, which includes civil and criminal penalties and aims to protect traditional agriculture and rural economies from potential disruption. The ban follows a shift in state policies after the Trump administration initially authorized lab-grown meat production in 2019, with the Biden administration later approving its sale in 2023. Lawmakers in these states express concerns over transparency in labeling, health risks, and long-term effects of cell-cultured products, while also affirming the cultural and economic importance of traditional livestock markets. These measures reflect a broader effort to defend conventional meat industries amid the growing presence of alternative protein technologies.