- Gov. Greg Abbott signs SB261, banning sale of lab-grown meat in Texas through 2027
Law imposes criminal penalties, defines cell-cultured meat as potential health risk
Move backed by cattle industry group aiming to protect traditional agriculture
Texas has always been agin' cattle rustling and other predations that made life annoying for ranchers. And now it is extending its efforts to stamping out the lab-grown meat movement, according to a report in the National Hog Farmer newsletter.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 261 into law, joining six other states in banning "cell-cultured protein," as it's called, and imposes both civil and criminal penalties on evildoers.
SB261 defines lab-grown meat as a product derived by harvesting animal cells and replicating them in a lab using growth mediums to produce tissue. Lawmakers cited concerns about potential safety risks, including exposure to microplastics during the cultivation process, which they argue may interfere with human cell membranes.
Cattle industry drives the meaasure
The Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA), a major force behind the bill, praised the legislation as a protective measure for Texas consumers and ranchers. The organization warned against allowing consumers to become “a science experiment” amid a perceived agenda by “radical groups” promoting alternatives to traditional animal agriculture.
Formed in 1877 to fight cattle theft, the TSCRA continues to exert significant influence on Texas agricultural policy. Its backing was crucial in driving SB261 to passage, with arguments centered on defending the economic and cultural importance of traditional meat production in Texas.
Texas joins Indiana, Nebraska, Montana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida in restricting lab-grown meat. Notably, many of the bans, including Texas’, are temporary moratoriums—a strategy that may help avoid legal backlash.
In Florida, where a similar ban was enacted, UPSIDE Foods, a leading producer of lab-grown meat with federal approval, has filed suit. A federal judge has declined to dismiss the case, signaling a potential showdown over state versus federal regulation of emerging food technologies.
In Indiana, the law mandates labeling cultivated meat as “imitation” once its two-year ban expires. Whether Texas will follow suit or make its ban permanent remains an open question.