AUSTIN, Texas — Governor Greg Abbott has signed Senate Bill 261 into law, instituting a two-year ban on the sale and production of lab-grown, or “cell-cultured,” meat in Texas. Effective September 1, 2025, through September 7, 2027, the legislation positions Texas as the seventh U.S. state to prohibit the commercial distribution of lab-grown meat products.
Lab-grown meat is produced by cultivating animal cells in controlled environments, offering a slaughter-free alternative to traditional meat. Proponents highlight its potential for environmental sustainability and ethical considerations. However, Texas ranchers and the Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association argue that these products threaten the state’s beef industry and rural economies.
Supporters of the ban, including Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, emphasize the importance of protecting traditional livestock operations and ensuring food security. Miller stated, “Texans have a God-given right to know what’s on their plate, and for millions of Texans, it better come from a pasture, not a lab.”
Critics argue that the prohibition hinders innovation and consumer choice in the evolving food industry. Barry Carpenter, former USDA official and past CEO of the North American Meat Institute, contends that such bans represent unnecessary government overreach that stifles consumer choice and free-market principles.
The law defines “cell-cultured protein” as food products derived from harvesting animal cells and artificially replicating those cells in a growth medium to produce tissue. Violations of the law carry a Class A misdemeanor, with repeat offenses potentially escalating to felonies.
Texas joins Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Indiana, Nebraska, and Montana in enacting similar bans. These state-level restrictions contrast with federal regulatory progress made by the USDA and FDA, which jointly approved two cultivated chicken products for sale in 2023.
As the U.S. navigates trade-offs between tradition and technology in its food systems, Texas has drawn a hard line—at least for now.
