Texas Enacts Two-Year Ban on Lab-Grown Meat Sale, Production

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has signed Senate Bill 261 into law, instituting a two-year ban on the sale and production of lab-grown meat, or cell-cultured protein, effective from September. The ban exempts plant-based meat alternatives and is intended to protect the state's traditional meat industry, which contributes about 15% of U.S. beef production, a vital sector for Texas ranchers and farmers. Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller and industry groups have praised the law as a defense of authentic meat from pasture-raised animals and a safeguard for consumers. Texas becomes the seventh state, alongside Alabama, Florida, Indiana, Mississippi, Montana, and Nebraska, to enact such legislation amid concerns over the environmental and economic impacts of lab-grown meat on conventional livestock farming. Violations of the law could lead to felony charges and fines up to $25,000. The ban reflects ongoing tensions between emerging food technologies and established agricultural practices in key livestock states.