The legislation, S.B. 1084, was signed on Wednesday, with DeSantis framing it as a pushback against what he perceives as an international elite's attempt to impose their dietary preferences on the world.
"Today, Florida is fighting back against the global elite’s plan to force the world to eat meat grown in a petri dish or bugs to achieve their authoritarian goals," DeSantis stated in a press release. He further pledged to "save our beef" by focusing on supporting local farmers and ranchers.
The legislation, a first of its kind in the nation, has been lauded by Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson, also a Republican. "Florida is taking a tremendous step in the right direction by signing first-in-the-nation legislation banning lab-grown meat," Simpson stated, adding that lab-grown meat is a "disgraceful attempt to undermine our proud traditions and prosperity."
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However, the move has not been without its critics. Good Meat, a company that prides itself as the first to sell cultivated meat, expressed disappointment at the new law. In a post on social platform X, the company stated, "In a state that purportedly prides itself on being a land of freedom and individual liberty, its government is now telling consumers what meat they can or cannot purchase." The company further argued that the law is a setback for consumer choice, the technology sector, and efforts to mitigate climate change.
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