Quotes from Florida Phoenix, February 8, 2024
By MITCH PERRY
The U.S. Department of Agriculture gave the green light to two California companies last June to sell their lab-grown meat products in restaurants and eventually grocery stores. However, a bill that is advancing in the Florida Legislature would prohibit the sale of such products in the state.
A proposed legislation by Republican Jay Collins from the Tampa Bay area (SB 1084) would prohibit the production, sale, possession or distribution of “cultivated” meat in Florida. Anyone who breaks this law could face a second-degree misdemeanor charge.
The proposed legislation would also authorize the revocation of the permit of any food establishment, retail outlet, or other business that provides the product.
According to Collins, his goal is to safeguard the interests of the people of Florida.
Collins expressed many doubts about this method and urged the Senate Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government to prohibit it in Florida until there is conclusive evidence that it is effective. He said on Thursday that this method is still in its early stages and not ready for implementation.
Cultivated meat is real meat (including seafood and organ meats) that comes from growing animal cells directly. This avoids the need to farm animals for food. The Good Food Institute explains that cultivated meat consists of the same cell types that can be organized in the same or similar way as animal tissues, thus matching the sensory and nutritional qualities of conventional meat.
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