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Federal Judge Denies Preliminary Injunction in UPSIDE Foods Lawsuit Against Florida’s Ban on Cultivated Meat

October 11, 2024 from The Hill:

"Today, a federal judge denied a request by UPSIDE Foods for a preliminary injunction to halt the enforcement of Florida’s recently enacted ban on cultivated meat. The ruling means that the ban will remain in place while the lawsuit challenging its legality continues. This decision is not a final outcome on the merits of the case but simply allows the law to stay in effect during the ongoing litigation."

Florida sued over ban on lab-grown meat

August 13, 2024 from The Hill:

"UPSIDE Foods, a company that produces meat cultivated in the lab, filed a federal lawsuit on Tuesday challenging Florida’s new ban on the production, distribution and sale of lab-grown meat.

"The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. Northern District of Florida, argues the ban unconstitutionally favors in-state businesses at the expense of out-of-state competitors, since cultivated meat is produced outside of Florida.

"The Institute of Justice (IJ), which is representing UPSIDE Foods, said in a press release that 'the law seeks to protect local meat producers from competition, undermining the principles of a national common market.'

"'If some Floridians don’t like the idea of eating cultivated chicken, there’s a simple solution: Don’t eat it,' IJ senior attorney Paul Sherman said.

"'The government has no right to tell consumers who want to try cultivated meat that they’re not allowed to. This law is not about safety; it’s about stifling innovation and protecting entrenched interests at the expense of consumer choice,' Sherman added.

"Cultivated meat is different from vegan and vegetarian products that try to mimic the taste of meat products using ingredients such as soy, legumes or vegetables.

"UPSIDE says its meat is grown directly from real animal cells in an effort to preserve the nature and authentic taste of original meat products without needing to raise and slaughter animals. UPSIDE is one of only two companies in the U.S. authorized to sell lab-grown meat.

"IJ attorney Suranjan Sen likened the ban on cultivated meats to a hypothetical ban on Florida orange juice in California."

"'A major purpose for enacting the Constitution was to prevent exactly this kind of economic protectionism, ensuring that all Americans can benefit from a free and open national market. Florida cannot ban products that are lawful to sell throughout the rest of the country simply to protect in-state businesses from honest competition.'"