A California company is fighting back against Florida’s ban on the sale and manufacturing of lab-grown meat. UPSIDE Foods, Inc., a producer of cultivated chicken, has filed an appeal challenging a federal judge’s recent decision to uphold the ban.
In August, UPSIDE Foods sued Florida, arguing that the state law is unconstitutional and conflicts with federal regulations on poultry products.
RELATED: California-Based Company Challenges Florida’s Ban On Lab-Grown “Meat”
The company claims that the ban effectively imposes an “ingredient requirement” that prohibits the use of cultivated chicken in food products.
However, Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker denied the company’s request for a preliminary injunction to block the law, stating that there is no federal regulation that establishes ingredient requirements for cultivated meat.
Florida officials have defended the ban, citing concerns about the safety of lab-grown meat, despite the fact that UPSIDE Foods received approval from both the FDA and USDA last year to manufacture and sell its products.
RELATED: Lab-Grown Meat Gets The Boot In Florida: Judge Upholds Ban
The appeal, filed on Tuesday, will now be considered by the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. This legal battle highlights the growing debate surrounding cultivated meat and its role in the future of food production.
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