Texas Bans Lab-Grown Meat, Becoming Seventh State to Do So

AUSTIN, TX — Texas will ban the sale and production of lab-grown meat beginning Sept. 1, 2025, under legislation signed by Gov. Greg Abbott and celebrated Thursday by Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller.

Senate Bill 261 makes Texas the seventh state in the country to enact such a ban. The law prohibits the sale of cell-cultured protein products for human consumption for two years and restricts meat sales to products derived from animals raised through traditional methods.

"This ban is a massive win for Texas ranchers, producers, and consumers," Commissioner 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. It's plain cowboy logic that we must safeguard our real, authentic meat industry from synthetic alternatives."

The bill was authored by Sen. Charles Perry and sponsored in the House by Rep. Stan Gerdes. According to Miller, the measure protects Texas agriculture by supporting the state’s livestock industry and ensuring food authenticity.

"I tip my hat to Senator Perry, the Texas Legislature, and Governor Abbott for taking a bold stand for our ranching families," Miller concluded. "Texans feed the world with real food from real animals raised by real people. Not only that, but Texas raises the best beef and poultry products in the world. Lab-grown meat just doesn't belong in Texas, and now, it doesn't have a place on our tables."

Texas joins states like Florida, Alabama, and Tennessee in enacting lab-grown meat bans amid a growing national debate over food technology and agriculture policy.