Alabama became the second state in the nation to ban cultured meat after Governor Kay Ivey signed a bill this week that bans the sale, production and distribution of cultured meat and imposes criminal penalties.

The bill (SB23) was introduced by Alabama Senator Jack Williams (R-Wilmar), co-chair of the Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee, and was passed in the House by Rep. Danny Crawford (R-Athens).

“We are extremely grateful to Congressman Jack Williams and Congressman Danny Crawford for their work to protect Alabama consumers,” said Erin Beasley, vice president of the Alabama Cattle Farmers Association. “Beef farmers work hard every day to raise their cattle and produce high-quality beef.

“Thanks to Senator Williams and Representative Crawford's tireless work this session, Alabamians will continue to be able to purchase safe, healthy, real beef.”

Lab-grown meat, also known as “cultured meat” or “cultivated meat,” is a meat alternative made from animal stem cells. According to GCF Global, the cells are placed in a petri dish with amino acids and carbohydrates to stimulate muscle cell proliferation and growth.

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“They mix some animal cells in there with some chemicals and call it meat. Alabamians want to know what they're eating, but we have no idea what's in our food or how it might affect us,” Williams said. “Our meat comes from livestock raised by hardworking farmers and ranchers, not from a petri dish grown by a scientist. We're committed to protecting our farmers and the integrity of American agriculture.”

“Sell your fake meat elsewhere. We don't do that in Alabama.”

For generations, Alabama farmers have played a vital role in feeding and clothing Americans.

“This legislation will strengthen the livestock and poultry industries by preventing lab-grown cells from being sold in Alabama. To consumers, the quality and safety of our produce is of paramount importance, and there can be no assurance that lab-grown protein cells are safe,” Crawford said.

Grayson Everett is the state and politics editor for Yellow Hammer News. You can follow him on Twitter. Grayson