Who’s Afraid of Lab-Grown Meat?

Curious to try a lab-grown chicken sandwich? Don’t look to satiate your craving in Mississippi, which earlier this week moved to ban so-called cultivated or cell-derived meat. The proposed ban, unanimously passed by the House of Representatives, carries a $500 fine and up to three months in jail for anyone growing or selling such products within the state. The bill, which Gov. Tate Reeves of Mississippi, a Republican, is expected to sign, is the latest in a series of legal maneuvers by states seeking to constrain the nascent cell-cultured meat industry — despite the fact that such products are currently unavailable to consumers in the United States. In contrast with alternative-meat products like Impossible Burger, which are made entirely from plants, lab-grown meat starts as cells taken from an animal. By nourishing them with a cocktail of nutrients, scientists can coax these cells to develop into animal muscle, connective tissue or fat — the basic components of meat.