Nebraska is one step closer to banning lab-grown meat, as a bill advanced to its final round in the Legislature Tuesday following a failed effort to shift its focus to labeling. The voice vote wrapped up a two-day debate that, at times, took on the tone of a cultural clash.
If passed, Nebraska would become the fourth state to prohibit cultivated meat, following Mississippi, Florida, and Alabama. The bill targets cell-cultivated meat—produced by multiplying animal cells into muscle, fat, and connective tissue—without the need for traditional slaughter.
Notably, the legislation does not impact plant-based meat alternatives like the Impossible Burger. Instead, it seeks to ban the production, import, sale, and promotion of cell-derived proteins across the state.
State Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln introduced an amendment that would have swapped the proposed ban on lab-grown meat for a labeling requirement.
That amendment was voted down, 12-24.
Lab-grown meat was first approved for human consumption by the Food and Drug Administration in 2022.
