A federal lawsuit was filed on Tuesday by UPSIDE Foods, a firm that grows meat in laboratories, contesting Florida’s recent statute that outlaws the manufacture, sale, and distribution of meat developed in laboratories.
The case claims that because cultured meat is produced outside of Florida, the restriction unconstitutionally benefits in-state companies at the expense of competitors from other states. It was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida.
According to a news release from UPSIDE Foods’ legal representation, the Institute of Justice (IJ), “the law seeks to protect local meat producers from competition, undermining the principles of a national common market.”
“If some Floridians don’t like the idea of eating cultivated chicken, there’s a simple solution: Don’t eat it,” IJ senior attorney Paul Sherman stated.
“The government has no right to tell consumers who want to try cultivated meat that they’re not allowed to. This law is not about safety; it’s about stifling innovation and protecting entrenched interests at the expense of consumer choice,” Sherman continued.
Unlike vegan and vegetarian goods, which use soy, lentils, or vegetables to simulate the flavor of meat, farmed meat is distinct from these items.
In an effort to maintain the natural flavor and nature of meat products without requiring the raising and killing of animals, UPSIDE claims that their meat is created directly from actual animal cells. One of the two businesses in the US permitted to market meat produced in a lab is UPSIDE.
The prohibition went into force on July 1st after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) signed it into law on May 1.
Attorneys cited Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson’s announcement of the law in the IJ press release, claiming it “made its protectionist motivations clear.”
“We must protect our incredible farmers and the integrity of American agriculture,” Simpson stated. “Together, we will keep Florida’s agricultural industry strong and thriving.”
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Attorney for the IJ Suranjan Sen compared the prohibition on farmed meats to a fictitious prohibition on Florida orange juice in California.
“For the same reason that California cannot ban orange juice made from oranges grown in Florida, Florida cannot ban UPSIDE’s meat,” Sen stated.
“A major purpose for enacting the Constitution was to prevent exactly this kind of economic protectionism, ensuring that all Americans can benefit from a free and open national market. Florida cannot ban products that are lawful to sell throughout the rest of the country simply to protect in-state businesses from honest competition.”
