Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has banned lab-grown meat, saying he will “save our beef” from the “global elite” and its “authoritarian plans”.

“Florida is fighting back against the global elite’s plan to force the world to eat meat grown in a petri dish or bugs,” Mr DeSantis said in a statement.

The first-in-the-nation law prohibits anyone from selling or distributing lab-grown meat in Florida.

Similar efforts are under way in Alabama, Arizona and Tennessee.

Lab-grown or “cultivated” meat was first cleared for consumption in the US in 2022.

The process of making cultivated meat involves extracting cells from an animal, which are then fed with nutrients such as proteins, sugars and fats. The end product is genetically indistinguishable from traditionally produced meat.

Studies have suggested that eating cultivated meat can cut carbon emissions and water usage, and free up land for nature, compared to eating traditionally produced meat.

    • VindictiveJudge
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      12 months ago

      The rule change also shouldn’t have been necessary. ‘Food must be edible’ isn’t something that should have to be explicitely written down. Sure, it’s probably safe, but ‘probably’ isn’t really good enough for a food competition.

      • @[email protected]
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        52 months ago

        Eh. I get your sentiment, but there’s a pretty big difference between “edible” and having a certification from the FDA claiming “generally regarded as safe”

        The better question is: why is kokum butter not GRAS? It’s sold everywhere. Has no one filed with the FDA?

        • VindictiveJudge
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          12 months ago

          I have never heard of kokum butter before, and certainly never seen it for sale, so ‘sold everywhere’ is a very regional thing. A quick search makes it look like it’s mostly applied topically rather than eaten?

          • @[email protected]
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            12 months ago

            Yeah, that might be the case. I’ve never purchased any, so I’m no expert. Wonder why it was used in the fake cheese to begin with.