Senators hear proposal to ban sale of lab-grown meat in Nebraska

By Brian Beach , Reporter Nebraska Public Media

Feb. 18, 2025, 5:30 p.m. ·

A cheeseburger sits on a wood counter against a black background. — Cultivated meat, like this cheeseburger, is grown in a lab from animal cells and require no slaughter. When produced at a commercial scale, cultivated meat uses up to 95% less land and 78% less water, according to a study commissioned by the Good Food Institute. (Photo courtesy of Mosa Meat)

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The Nebraska Legislature’s Agriculture Committee heard a proposal Tuesday afternoon to ban the sale of lab-grown meat.

Sen. Barry DeKay, a rancher from Niobrara, introduced LB246 at the request of Gov. Jim Pillen. The bill would ban the manufacturing, sale and distribution of cultured protein products. These products are made by cultivating animal stem cells for several weeks and combining them with other ingredients.

Two companies have been cleared by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to sell cultivated meat, but the products have yet to hit the shelves in Nebraska. The legislation would not impact plant-based proteins, such as Burger King’s Impossible Whopper.

DeKay said he introduced the bill in part because he has concerns about the long-term health effects of lab-grown meat.

“I want it banned until we know what the health ramifications are,” he said. “There are all kinds of products that have been put on the market and then pulled from the market because they've been linked back to different cancers and different illnesses.”

Nebraska Department of Agriculture Director Sherry Vinton testified in favor of the legislation. She said Nebraska needs to protect its interests as a top beef producing state.

Vinton also cited research from the University of California, Davis that lab grown meat could be more harmful to the environment than traditional ranching.

The bill also had a number of critics, who expressed concerns that banning a product cleared by the U.S. Department of Agriculture could constitute government overreach.

Daniel Gertner, an agricultural economist at the Good Food Institute, an advocacy group for plant-based and cultivated products, said it should be up to consumers to determine whether lab grown meat becomes popular in the state.

“Nebraskans who do not want to eat meat alternatives will not buy them, or supermarkets will not stock them, but that's for the market to decide,” he said. “This bill sets a dangerous precedent, potentially leading to unfounded bans on other products.”

The Agriculture Committee will determine whether the bill advances to the for further debate.