Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, the former Republican presidential candidate, signed a bill Wednesday to ban the production and distribution of meat produced in a laboratory.
"Take your fake lab-grown meat elsewhere. We're not doing that in the state of Florida,” DeSantis said in a news conference.
The ban does not include plant-based imitation meat. It only pertains to the meat produced from animal stem cells. Florida is one of the top beef producing states in the country.
Alabama, Arizona, and Tennessee have looked at similar efforts to ban lab-produced meat, according to NBC News.
DeSantis characterized meat produced in laboratories as a “threat” to agriculture.
Supporters of the production believe that it could be a solution in the future for feeding the world’s growing demand for food and that it could become a viable protein source.
It was created about a decade ago, and it is too soon to know if it can provide the benefits that supporters hope.
Will consumers like the taste? (Does it taste like animal meat?)
Will it be more environmentally sustainable than raising animals?
Will it contain a comparable amount of protein to animal meat?
Will it be acceptable as a food source for vegans/vegetarians or those who don’t eat animal meat (or certain animal meats) due to religious reasons?
Will Florida ignite other states to pursue similar bans, which could slow down its availability?
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