Florida ban on lab-grown meat comes after Bezos invests millions in industry

[JACK AYLMER]

RON DESANTIS HAS A BEEF WITH MAN-MADE MEAT.

THE FLORIDA GOVERNOR MADE HIS STATE THE FIRST TO BAN LAB-GROWN MEAT LAST WEEK.

SIGNING THE BAN INTO LAW…

AND DECLARED.

[GOV. RON DESANTIS]

“TAKE YOUR FAKE LAB-GROWN MEAT ELSEWHERE… WE’RE NOT DOING THAT IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA.”

[JACK AYLMER]

BUT WHAT EXACTLY IS LAB-GROWN MEAT?

IT’S A MEAT ALTERNATIVE MADE FROM ANIMAL STEM CELLS CULTIVATED IN A LAB.

IT MIMICS THE TASTE AND TEXTURE OF CONVENTIONAL MEAT.

THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM SEES IT AS THE FUTURE.

AND SO DOES NEW FLORIDA RESIDENT JEFF BEZOS.

THE THIRD RICHEST MAN IN THE WORLD IS INVESTING MILLIONS IN ITS DEVELOPMENT.

ADVOCATES SAY IT WILL REDUCE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT.

PROMOTES ANIMAL WELFARE AND WOULD HELP SOLVE FOOD INSECURITY…

AS THE WORLD POPULATION GROWS.

HEALTH ADVOCATES ALSO SAY IT REDUCES THE RISK OF FOODBORNE ILLNESS.

WHILE SOME BELIEVE LAB-GROWN MEAT COULD REVOLUTIONIZE THE FOOD INDUSTRY, OTHERS LIKE DESANTIS, ARGUE IT THREATENS TRADITIONAL AGRICULTURE.

DESANTIS CLAIMS IT’S AN ATTEMPT BY ENVIRONMENTALISTS TO BLAME CLIMATE CHANGE ON THE CATTLE INDUSTRY.

SIMILAR DEBATES ARE BREWING IN OTHER STATES LIKE ALABAMA, ARIZONA AND TENNESSEE, WHERE BILLS BANNING LAB-GROWN MEAT ARE UNDER CONSIDERATION.

LAB GROWN MEAT STILL FACES CHALLENGES, INCLUDING TASTE, SAFETY AND AFFORDABILITY.

WHILE THE FDA HAS DEEMED IT SAFE TO EAT, CRITICS REMAIN UNCONVINCED.

AS FOR AVAILABILITY, LAB-GROWN MEAT IS NOT YET ON SUPERMARKET SHELVES IN THE U.S.

WITH SALES LIMITED TO SELECT RESTAURANTS.