Supporters of the new law argue it safeguards Texas’ iconic cattle industry from unfair competition posed by lab-engineered alternatives, preserving jobs, traditions, and the state’s agricultural heritage amid growing concerns over the safety and ethics of Gates-backed biotech ventures. The two-year prohibition underscores a broader backlash against artificial proteins, with critics warning of potential health risks and economic disruption to traditional farming, as more states follow suit to prioritize real meat over what they deem unnatural experiments.
Dailycaller.com reports: “Ranchers across Texas work tirelessly to raise healthy cattle and produce high-quality beef,” Carl Ray Polk Jr., president of the Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA), stated in a May press release. “Our association is grateful for those legislators who voted to support this legislation and understood the core of this bill, to protect our consumers, the beef industry, and animal agriculture.”
https://t.co/KoJ9UoxHfG
— Texas Agriculture (@TexasDeptofAg) June 28, 2025
"Lab-grown meat just doesn't belong in Texas, and now, it doesn't have a place on our tables." - Commissioner Sid Miller #TexasAgricultureMatters #Beef #RealFood #BuyLocal
The move comes despite lab-grown meat not having a significant presence in Texas. Only one restaurant, Otoko in Austin, was offering the product, The Texas Tribune reported in August.
Critics argue the law prioritizes special interests over consumer rights.
“The Texas ban on cultivated meat is a classic example of special interest legislation,” Paul Sherman, senior attorney at the Institute for Justice, told The Dallas Morning News. “The law has nothing to do with public health and safety, and everything to do with protecting the powerful agriculture lobby from innovative out-of-state competition.”
Sherman, who is currently leading a legal challenge against a similar law in Florida, believes Texas could be next.
“We are hopeful that the courts will stand up for the right of consumers to choose for themselves what foods they want to eat,” he told the outlet.
The law is in effect through 2027 unless overturned in court.