Alabama Moves One Step Closer to Banning Cultivated Meat
The Alabama Senate has passed a bill to prohibit cultivated meat across the state, raising concerns that the US could get left behind in the race to develop sustainable alternative proteins.
Photo: UPSIDE Foods’ cultivated chicken
The Alabama Senate has passed a bill that would ban cultivated meat from being sold in the state.
Under the ban, which now needs to pass in the House of Representatives to become law, anyone who manufactures, sells, offers to sell, or distributes any food product grown from animal cells would face a Class C misdemeanor.
Restaurants that sell or distribute cultivated meat risk having food safety permits revoked if convicted and would be subject to all enforcement measures under the Alabama Department of Public Health.
Sponsored by Senator Jack Williams, SB23 was approved by 32 of the state’s 35 senators. No one opposed it. The Senator, a cattle farmer, told Alabama Daily News: “Anything that is artificial and not to do with our animals comes up on my radar. I don’t want Alabamians eating that.”
Rick Pate, Alabama’s state agriculture commissioner, also voiced support for SB23 to Alabama Daily News: “We want to be supportive of our cattlemen, and that’s a huge industry in Alabama and income for our small farmers.”
Preventing Progress
Cultivated meat, which is produced directly from cells without the need to slaughter animals and better for the environment, received FDA approval last year, marking a pivotal moment for the industry. Hurdles remain, including the need to scale up production and reduce costs, before cultivated meat can be found on supermarket shelves.
Bills like Alabama’s are only slowing down that progress, with experts concerned that the US risks falling behind other countries in scaling up production if it continues to cater to the interests of the animal agriculture industry.
Elizabeth Novogratz, the founder of Species Unite and the first person in the US to purchase cultivated chicken in the state of New York, said: "Cultivated meat is the solution the world desperately needs to stop the suffering and slaughter of trillions of animals every year. It also provides people with the choice to consume meat without the devastating environmental impacts of conventional animal agriculture. Alabama is taking that choice away from people.
“Elected officials should not be putting their own financial incentives above the interests of the people,” Novogratz continued. “The cultivated meat industry has the potential to transform the food system to one that is kinder to animals and the planet. Forward-thinking governments can see the potential in this and refuse to give in to pressure and fear-mongering from the meat industry.”
Research indicates that cultivated meat has the potential to generate emissions that are up to 92 percent lower than those from conventional meat. It could also lead to a reduction of up to 94 percent in air pollution linked to meat production and use as much as 90 percent less land. “We could satisfy demand for meat while protecting the environment,” Alice Ravenscroft, the head of policy at the Good Food Institute Europe, an NGO helping to build a more sustainable food system, previously told The Guardian.
“Elected officials should not be putting their own financial incentives above the interests of the people.”
‘Jeopardizes the United States' Leadership in Biotechnology’
Alabama’s move to ban the practice is because “we don’t know what’s in this”, Williams said. “We don’t know what it’s going to do to your body yet. There hasn’t been enough research done. They’re doing chickens in California, I know, and shipping them overseas, not here, but we just don’t want it in Alabama.”
However, UPSIDE Foods, which became the first company in the world to receive FDA safety clearance for its cultivated chicken in the US, criticized the decision and highlighted that “cultivated meat is regulated by the FDA and USDA and is subject to the same oversight as conventionally-produced meat.”
“UPSIDE Foods strongly opposes the proposed bill aiming to criminalize cultivated meat in Alabama, as it threatens the free market, stifles innovation, and limits consumer choice,” the company told ABC 33/40. “This legislation not only jeopardizes the United States' leadership in biotechnology and Alabama’s supply chain, it also hinders our ability to address the projected doubling of global meat demand by 2050.
“Our opposition extends beyond our industry; even members of the conventional meat sector stand against it. We urge policymakers to reconsider, recognizing the broader consequences on the economy, global competitiveness, innovation, and consumer freedom in Alabama.”
UPSIDE’s cultivated meat factory. Credit: UPSIDE Foods
Alabama isn’t the only state attempting to curb cultivated meat’s progress through legislation. Florida and Arizona have also introduced proposals that aim to restrict or ban the sale and production of cell-based meats.
Last month, two Senators introduced a bill that would prohibit the use of cultivated meat products on school menus in the US. The legislation is endorsed by the US Cattlemen’s Association, R-CALF USA, and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.
Supporting Solutions for Animals and the Environment
By 2050, the human population is estimated to reach 9.5 billion, and the demand for animal-based protein is expected to double. With 75 billion land animals and trillions of fish currently slaughtered globally every year, the climate and ethical implications of these are incomprehensible.
That’s why, in 2024 and beyond, Species Unite will continue to champion solutions, including cultivated meat, that can help transition the world away from animal products. Join our community by becoming a member today and check out our Future of Food podcast episodes to learn more about cellular agriculture.
Although cultivated meat still has a way to go before it’s on supermarket shelves, you don’t have to support animal suffering. Sign up to our 30-Day Plant Power challenge to make cruelty-free choices when it comes to your food and fashion.
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