Upside Foods files lawsuit against Florida officials after lab-grown meat ban

Aug 14

Lauren Taylor Anchor/Reporter

By Lauren Taylor (Anchor/Reporter), Mathew Grisham (Digital Producer)

This report was created with support from enhanced software.

Florida became the first state to ban lab-grown meat in May, causing a new legal battle to emerge. The outcome of this lawsuit could have far-reaching implications for the future of food technology and regulation in the United States.

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A cultured meat company is at the head of the lawsuit. Upside Foods, a California-based company that grows and sells lab-grown meats, filed a suit against Florida officials, claiming it violates the Constitution’s supremacy clause.

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Upside Foods argues that its product is “delicious meat” produced in facilities resembling breweries, not the traditional lab. The company was planning on selling its lab-grown meat products in Miami starting in December.

Last year saw federal approval for “cell-cultured” meat, which came on June 21, 2023. The USDA approved the meat for two American manufacturers, the aforementioned Upside Foods and Good Meat.

Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., signed the ban, aligning with cattle farmers and traditional agricultural interests. During an address, DeSantis said to “take your fake lab-grown meat elsewhere” and that the ban was important for the state of Florida.

Advocates for consumer choice emphasize the importance of allowing consumers, not politicians, to decide what kind of meat they want to buy.

Florida will soon be joined by neighboring Alabama in its ban of cultivated meat. The state is set to become the second to ban these products on Oct. 1.

Tags: Agriculture, Alabama, Constitution, Florida, Lab-grown meat, Lawsuit, Regulation, Ron DeSantis

Lauren Taylor

IN FLORIDA – THE SALE OF LAB GROWN MEAT IS BANNED – AND NOW – A LEGAL BATTLE IS BREWING OVER THE LAW.

UPSIDE FOODS – A CALIFORNIA COMPANY THAT GROWS AND SELLS LAB-GROWN MEATS — ARGUES THAT THEIR PRODUCT IS ‘DELICIOUS MEAT’ PRODUCED IN FACILITIES RESEMBLING BREWERIES RATHER THAN TRADITIONAL LABS. THE COMPANY WAS PLANNING ON SELLING IT’S LAB-GROWN MEAT PRODUCTS IN MIAMI STARTING IN DECEMBER.

THE COMPANY FILED SUIT AGAINST FLORIDA OFFICIALS OVER THE BAN — CLAIMING IT VIOLATES THE CONSTITUTION’S SUPREMACY CLAUSE BY CONFLICTING WITH EXISTING FEDERAL LAWS REGULATING MEAT AND POULTRY PRODUCTS, AND INFRINGES UPON THE COMMERCE CLAUSE.

DESPITE FEDERAL APPROVAL FOR ‘CELL-CULTURED’ MEAT IN JUNE 2023, FLORIDA GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS SIGNED THE BAN ON CULTIVATED MEAT IN MAY, ALIGNING WITH CATTLE FARMERS AND TRADITIONAL AGRICULTURAL INTERESTS.

Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-FL.

0:21 “IT’S IMPORTANT FOR THE BACKBONE OF THE STATE, IT’S IMPORTANT FOR OUR CULTURE, IT’S IMPORTANT FOR OUR HERITAGE. TAKE YOUR FAKE LAB-GROWN MEAT ELSEWHERE, WE’RE NOT DOING THAT IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA!”

Lauren Taylor

ADVOCATES FOR CONSUMER CHOICE EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF ALLOWING CONSUMERS TO DECIDE WHAT KIND OF MEAT THEY WISH TO PURCHASE, RATHER THAN HAVING POLITICIANS MAKE THAT DECISION.

AS FLORIDA BECOMES THE FIRST STATE TO BAN CULTIVATED MEAT, WITH ALABAMA SET TO FOLLOW ON OCTOBER 1ST — THE OUTCOME OF THIS LEGAL CHALLENGE COULD HAVE FAR-REACHING IMPLICATIONS FOR THE FUTURE OF FOOD TECHNOLOGY AND REGULATION ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.