Upside Foods, a cultivated meat company, has filed a lawsuit against Florida over its ban on lab-grown meat. The lawsuit, filed in federal court, seeks to have the ban declared unconstitutional and to obtain preliminary and permanent injunctions against the law.

The lawsuit claims that Florida's ban violates the Supremacy and Commerce clauses of the constitution, as well as two federal laws regulating the inspection and distribution of meat and poultry products. Upside Foods argues that the ban is intended to protect the state's cattle industry from out-of-state competition rather than address food safety concerns.

Upside Foods contends that Florida's ban harms its operations nationwide by inspiring similar legislation in other states and making it difficult to partner with national meat distributors.

Analyst QuickTake: The legislation in question is Bill SB 1084 signed into law in May 2024, which criminalized the sale and manufacture of lab-grown meat within the state. Similarly, Iowa signed bill SB23 into law imposing similar restrictions along with prison sentences and fines for violators.