Nebraska may soon join the ranks of U.S. states prohibiting cultivated meat, following Governor Jim Pillen’s executive order aimed at regulating its sale. Pillen has committed to establishing strict guidelines that limit state agencies and their contractors from acquiring lab-grown meat.
In a statement, he emphasized the importance of ensuring that lab-grown meat products sold in retail outlets are “properly labeled” and maintained separate from traditional meat products on store shelves. “Nebraska farmers and ranchers, like those here today, are committed to producing the best food products anywhere,” Pillen asserted. “We feed the world and save the planet more effectively and more efficiently than anybody else, and I will defend those practices with my last breath.”
In addition to the executive order, the Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) will start a rulemaking process to enforce these regulations. Moreover, Pillen plans to collaborate with state senators during the upcoming legislative session to draft a bill outright banning lab-grown meat in the state.
Sherry Vinton, NDA director, expressed concerns about consumer safety, stating, “Nebraska consumers want to know and deserve to know that what they are purchasing is safe, wholesome meat and not a lab-grown product.” A public hearing to discuss the draft regulations is scheduled for October 8.
This movement in Nebraska follows similar actions taken in Florida, where Governor Ron DeSantis recently signed legislation prohibiting the sale of lab-grown meat. He claimed this initiative is part of a broader resistance to what he perceives as global elites promoting a shift to lab-grown meat or insects. According to DeSantis, such measures protect local farmers and ranchers, thereby “saving our beef.” The law, effective from July 1, bars the manufacture, sale, or distribution of cultivated meat in Florida.
Last month, the Institute for Justice, a nonprofit public interest law firm, teamed up with cell-based meat company Upside Foods to challenge Florida’s ban, which they label as “economic protectionism.” Furthermore, Alabama state senators introduced a similar bill back in January, and Texas passed a law requiring clear labeling for cultivated meat products.
The food and beverage industry trends are clearly shifting as regulatory scrutiny intensifies regarding lab-grown meat, highlighting the evolving landscape of the food and drink business.
