Florida House Representative Tyler Sirois is making headlines after introducing a new bill prohibiting the production, selling, holding, and distributing of cultivated meat in Florida. The news comes only a few weeks after TIME magazine’s Best Inventions of 2023 included GOOD Meat’s cultivated chicken.
As reported by Action News Jax, the proposed legislation states that anyone found in violation could face criminal penalties, including a misdemeanor of the second degree, accompanied by a fine ranging from $500 to $1,000. Restaurants or food service companies violating the law would see a license suspension or an immediate stop-sale order.
If signed into law, this bill would come into effect in July 2024 and could have significant implications for the emerging cellular agriculture industry.
Florida legislation reportedly mandates that any organization seeking to commercialize cultivated meat in the state must also obtain approval from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Meanwhile, other states and the federal administration have taken a different position.
In June, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave Californian companies UPSIDE Foods and GOOD Meat the green light to produce and sell cell-cultivated chicken, effectively making the USA the second country after Singapore to approve this novel food. Both companies are currently selling cell-cultivated chicken: GOOD Meat at China Chilcano in Washington, DC, and UPSIDE Foods at Bar Crenn in San Francisco, California.
The potential passing of Florida’s bill will raise concerns within an industry challenged by consumer acceptance. Cultivated meat has the potential to meet consumer demand while addressing climate, health, and animal welfare concerns. However, accredited institutions should validate its safety for consumers to embrace and accept cultivated products.
Moreover, the cultivated meat market is anticipating exponential growth, predicted to surge from $214 million in 2025 to an impressive $593 million by 2032. Only in the US, more than 40 companies work in the cultivated meat or seafood sector, attracting 60% of global investments, according to Good Food Institute figures.
Lastly, it is worth noting that earlier this year, Giorgia Meloni’s far-right government also proposed a ban on cultivated meat in Italy, aiming to preserve the country’s food heritage. While the country initially withdrew its bill notification to the EU, anticipating rejection, the agricultural minister, Francesco Lollobrigida, insists that the government intends to proceed with the legislation.
“The passing of such a law would shut down the economic potential of this nascent field in Italy, holding back scientific progress and climate mitigation efforts and limiting consumer choice,” Alice Ravenscroft, head of policy at the Good Food Institute Europe, commented on Italy’s proposed ban.
