A new state law took effect on September 1, 2025, prohibiting the manufacture, sale, distribution - or even possession - of lab-grown, or “cell-cultured,” meat in Texas.
Senate Bill 261, signed into law back in June, bars these products for two years under threat of criminal penalties—including Class A misdemeanors and even felony charges for repeat offenses.
Supporters - including Texas ranchers and the Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association - say the law protects traditional agriculture from disruptive competition. Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller praised the move, saying Texans have a right to know what’s on their plate - and for many, that means meat that came from a pasture, not a lab.
Critics argue the ban isn’t about health or safety - these products are federally approved by both the FDA and USDA - but about protecting entrenched industry interests. Paul Sherman, a senior attorney with the Institute for Justice, blasted the law as “special-interest legislation” and confirmed he’s watching similar court challenges unfold elsewhere.
In Austin, the upscale sushi restaurant Otoko is winding down its brief foray into lab-grown salmon - served in partnership with Wildtype - before the ban takes full effect.
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