Florida sued over lab-grown meat ban

UPSIDE Foods, a company that produces lab-grown meat, filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday challenging Florida’s new ban on the production, distribution and sale of lab-grown meat.

The processfiled in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, argues that the ban unconstitutionally favors in-state companies over out-of-state competitors because cultured meat is produced outside of Florida.

The Institute of Justice (IJ), which represents UPSIDE Foods, said in a press release “the law seeks to protect local meat producers from competition, undermining the principles of a national common market.”

“If some Floridians don’t like the idea of ​​eating farmed chicken, there is a simple solution: don’t eat it,” said IJ Senior Attorney Paul Sherman.

“The government has no right to tell consumers who want to try cultured meat that they are not allowed to do so. This law is not about security; it’s about stifling innovation and protecting entrenched interests at the expense of consumer choice,” Sherman added.

Cultured meat is different from vegan and vegetarian products that try to mimic the taste of meat products by using ingredients like soy, legumes, or vegetables.

UPSIDE claims that its meat is grown directly from real animal cells in an effort to preserve the nature and authentic taste of original meat products without the need to raise and slaughter animals. UPSIDE is one of only two companies in the US authorized to sell lab-grown meat.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) signed the ban into law on May 1, and it took effect on July 1. The Hill has reached out to DeSantis’ office for comment.

In the IJ press release, lawyers pointed to Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson’s statement announcing the law, which they argued “made clear its protectionist motivations.”

“We must protect our incredible farmers and the integrity of American agriculture,” Simpson said at the time, according to the IJ press release. “Together, we will keep Florida’s agricultural industry strong and prosperous.”

IJ lawyer Suranjan Sen compared the cultured meat ban to a hypothetical Florida orange juice ban in California.

“For the same reason that California cannot ban orange juice made from oranges grown in Florida, Florida cannot ban UPSIDE meat,” Sen said.

“One of the main objectives of enacting the Constitution was to prevent exactly this type of economic protectionism, ensuring that all Americans can benefit from a free and open national market. Florida cannot ban products that are legal to sell elsewhere in the country simply to protect the state’s businesses from honest competition.”

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