Sen. Jason T. Dickerson Introduces Legislation to Ban Lab-Grown Meat

ATLANTA (January 26, 2026) - Recently, Sen. Jason T. Dickerson (R-Canton) introduced Senate Bill 415 to ban the production, distribution, and sale of lab-grown meat. Also known as cultured meat or cell-based meat, lab-grown meat is created by taking cells from animals and feeding them nutrients in a controlled environment.

"Agriculture forms the backbone of our state as our number one industry, year after year," said Sen. Dickerson. "I grew up on a cattle farm, which gave me a firsthand understanding of the hard work and responsibility that go into producing safe, reliable food for our communities. The creation and use of lab-grown meat takes business away from our farmers and introduces potential risks to our food supply. Rather than diverting resources away from the agricultural practices our farmers have cultivated over generations, our focus should be on reinforcing the proven agricultural model that has served Georgians for decades. SB 415 will uphold public health standards and support real products by real farmers."

Sen. Dickerson added, "We also have an obligation to protect our consumers from a product that has not been thoroughly researched. Georgians' safety should not be compromised by rushing untested alternatives into our restaurants and grocery stores, especially when it comes to something as fundamental as the food we put on our tables. People place a lot of trust in our farmers and where our food comes from, and that trust must be honored by ensuring every product meets the highest quality standards before it reaches our communities."

The USDA approved selling lab-grown meat to the public in 2023, but seven states have recently passed similar legislation to ban it, including Alabama and Florida. Other states have passed legislation requiring greater transparency when labeling foods that contain lab-grown meat.

For more information on SB 415, click here.

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Sen. Jason T. Dickerson represents the 21^st Senate District, which includes portions of Cherokee and Fulton counties. He may be reached by phone at (404) 463-1378 or by email at [email protected].

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