Payam Javan: Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen signed an executive order on Thursday banning state agencies from procuring lab-grown meat or products developed from animal cells. The order aims to safeguard Nebraska’s agriculture sector and consumers by ensuring that lab-grown meat is not mistaken for traditional meat. Pillen announced this move with the Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA), emphasizing the state’s commitment to traditional farming practices. The governor also instructed the NDA to create regulations ensuring proper labeling of lab-grown meat and to keep it separate from natural meat in stores.

The executive order includes a stipulation that contractors with the State of Nebraska cannot favor lab-grown meat producers over traditional meat producers. Additionally, Pillen’s office has scheduled a public hearing for October 8 to discuss the new regulations, and the governor plans to draft legislation to further ban lab-grown meat in Nebraska during the next legislative session. This follows similar actions by other states, such as Iowa, Florida, and Alabama, which have either banned or regulated lab-grown meat products.

Lab-grown meat, produced by culturing animal cells in bioreactors, has been controversial due to its reliance on fetal bovine serum (FBS) from unborn calves, raising ethical and safety concerns. Recent reports from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations have highlighted potential health risks associated with lab-grown meat, including contaminants and allergens. Despite these concerns, the U.S. Agriculture Department recently approved two companies for the production of lab-grown chicken, reflecting ongoing debates about the future of this technology.