MONTGOMERY – Members of the State Senate voted to ban the sale of lab-grown meat in Alabama on Thursday.
This bill would prohibit the manufacture, sale or distribution of food products produced from cultured animal cells within Alabama.
Cell culture is the process by which human, animal or insect cells are grown in a favorable artificial environment, according to the National Institutes of Health.
The bill’s sponsor State Sen. Jack Williams (R-Wilmer) told 1819 News on Thursday the general public doesn’t want lab-grown meat in Alabama.
“They want to know what they’re eating. That’s why people are going to the farms so much to get their food now. This is all made from nothing, cells. You don’t know what you’re getting. You don’t know what it’s going to do to you later I think. It’s a pretty simple bill, but I had big, big support on it. It just keeps it out of the stores in Alabama and keeps them from manufacturing it here,” Williams said. “We don’t know what’s in this. We don’t know what it’s going to do to your body yet. There hasn’t been enough research done. They’re doing chickens in California I know and shipping them overseas, not here but we just don’t want it in Alabama.”
The bill passed the Senate 32-0 and now heads to the House for their consideration.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email caleb.taylor@1819News.com.
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