More states are rejecting “lab-grown meat,” with Montana recently implementing a ban on the sale of such products.
This week, Montana Governor Greg Gianforte shared on X, expressing his pride in supporting the state’s ranchers by signing legislation that prohibits “cell-cultured edible products.”
Alongside Alabama and Florida, Montana has joined the ranks of states banning lab-grown meat. Recently, Indiana also imposed a two-year suspension on the sale of cultured meat products grown within its borders.
On Wednesday, Nebraska lawmakers passed a bill similar to Montana’s, designed to restrict the distribution and sale of lab-grown meat. This bill was reportedly initiated at the request of Governor Jim Piren, who is expected to endorse it.
Tennessee and Arizona also examined similar legislation last year, as they navigated the complexities around the issue.
The new law in Montana characterizes “cell-cultured edible products” as a type of “meat concept,” including components like “muscle cells, adipocytes, connective tissue, blood, and other materials produced through cell culture rather than from the whole animal.”
As reported by the Western Journal:
The Montana Department of Agriculture outlines that agriculture is the state’s most vital industry, engaging one in six residents through various agricultural roles. Since Montana joined the union in 1889, beef has stood as a key and emblematic product.
Florida made headlines last year as the first state to outlaw lab-grown meat, soon followed by Alabama, where the law forbids the manufacturing, distribution, or sale of products derived from cultured animal cells.
States implementing these bans aim to safeguard the interests of ranchers and beef producers, although global organizations advocate for lab-grown meat to tackle livestock-related carbon emissions.
The office of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis addressed the state’s position.
Florida acts against the ambitions outlined by the World Economic Forum, which promote a shift toward consuming “often overlooked” proteins like lab-grown meat and insects. According to the Forum, a departure from traditional meat consumption is encouraged, while Florida seeks to boost meat production.
DeSantis stated, “Florida stands firm against the global elite’s schemes to impose their authoritarian ideals, pushing the public toward consuming meat cultivated in laboratories and insects.”
