Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen laid out his plan to protect agriculture this session.It includes banning cell-cultivated meat products or what he calls “lab-grown” meats in Nebraska.”That will ban Petri-dish meat. I call it bio reactor meat,” Pillen said. Cell-cultivated meat uses animal cells from beef chicken and pork and seafood that are cultivated in bioreactors.Pillen sees this as the latest assault on the animal production industry.”It’s important that we protect our number one industry. It’s important that we get on the offense so that Nebraska farmers and ranchers are not undermined,” Pillen said.”It’s really simple. If somebody wants to eat that stuff, they’re welcome to it. They’re just not going to find it in Nebraska grocery stores. They can get it through Amazon or however they want,” Pillen said.Pillen is working with state Sen. Barry DeKay. He introduced LB 246.It restricts the production or sale of cell-cultivated meats in the state. Another bill will require labeling that differentiates it from “real” meat.”We want to eliminate that process in the state of Nebraska, and we want to protect the label of a meat product rather than a meat substitute,” DeKay said.Suzi Gerber is the executive director of the Association for Meat, Poultry, and Seafood Innovation.AMPSI represents the cultivated meat industry.”You’ll never see these products ever just called meat and nothing else. It’ll always say something like ‘cell-cultivated meat,'” Gerber said. “The reason why it is in fact meat is because if you were to take a sample of it and test it, it would be meat,” Gerber said.The products are safe.Two American companies have been given FDA approval for sales in the U.S.”These are foods that are made in facilities, just like cheese, just like beer,” Gerber said.She calls a ban on the entire industry “unprecedented” and could hurt Nebraska’s sales of products needed by some of these fledgling companies.A lot of these companies purchase products that are made in states like Nebraska, especially agricultural products “I don’t think banning that is good for Nebraska or good for Nebraska overall. And ultimately, I think Nebraskans, just like the rest of the United States, tend to let consumers decide what they want to buy, what they want to eat, and what they want to feed their families, and I think Nebraska has more to lose than to gain,” Gerber said.But Pillen and DeKay say the bill protects consumers and Nebraska producers.”Their goal is simple. They want to put animal production agriculture out of business,” Pillen said. “People are going to keep loving their meat, and we wouldn’t want it any other way. This is adding, not subtracting,” Gerber said.Some Nebraska agriculture groups have mixed opinions about the bills.The Nebraska Cattlemen said in statement that the cell-cultured products should be required to adhere to the same regulatory standards as beef. “While we undoubtedly know we have a superior product to companies using bio reactor slurries, bovine serum and other unknown contents, we must prevent false and deceptive marketing practices. Beef producers deserve a level playing field in the marketplace and must continue to advocate for transparency to protect consumers by regulation and enforcement of clear labeling standards,” said Nebraska Cattlemen Exec. Vice President Laura Field.Nebraska Farm Bureau President Mark McHargue said in a statement, “Lab-cultured products should not be classified as meat, as they do not conform to the traditional and commonly accepted definitions of these terms.”However, the NFB does not support a blanket state-level ban on the products.”Just like we adamantly oppose efforts by other states to place unscientific animal welfare restrictions on Nebraska pork and poultry producers,” McHargue said. Pillen is also supporting a bill sponsored by State Sen. Mike Jacobson that would ensure crop and soil, and other data generated from precision agriculture remains the property of the producer and not used or sold by the tech company offering a service.”We the farmers and ranchers cannot be duped to give that up,” Pillen said.”Make sure that the data that is in chips in our cattle stay with who owns them so that it can’t be sold off to large, publicly traded companies,” Pillen said.Pillen is also calling for a governor’s task force to study water quantity and quality. And he is backing a bill that would merge the Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Environment and Energy.”I think that what it will help us do is focus on water quality and quantity. It improves Nebraska’s long-range planning for water and natural resource management of Soil and Health,” Pillen said.NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |
Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen laid out his plan to protect agriculture this session.
It includes banning cell-cultivated meat products or what he calls “lab-grown” meats in Nebraska.
“That will ban Petri-dish meat. I call it bio reactor meat,” Pillen said.
Cell-cultivated meat uses animal cells from beef chicken and pork and seafood that are cultivated in bioreactors.
Pillen sees this as the latest assault on the animal production industry.
“It’s important that we protect our number one industry. It’s important that we get on the offense so that Nebraska farmers and ranchers are not undermined,” Pillen said.
“It’s really simple. If somebody wants to eat that stuff, they’re welcome to it. They’re just not going to find it in Nebraska grocery stores. They can get it through Amazon or however they want,” Pillen said.
Pillen is working with state Sen. Barry DeKay. He introduced LB 246.
It restricts the production or sale of cell-cultivated meats in the state.
Another bill will require labeling that differentiates it from “real” meat.
“We want to eliminate that process in the state of Nebraska, and we want to protect the label of a meat product rather than a meat substitute,” DeKay said.
Suzi Gerber is the executive director of the Association for Meat, Poultry, and Seafood Innovation.
AMPSI represents the cultivated meat industry.
“You’ll never see these products ever just called meat and nothing else. It’ll always say something like ‘cell-cultivated meat,'” Gerber said.
“The reason why it is in fact meat is because if you were to take a sample of it and test it, it would be meat,” Gerber said.
The products are safe.
Two American companies have been given FDA approval for sales in the U.S.
“These are foods that are made in facilities, just like cheese, just like beer,” Gerber said.
She calls a ban on the entire industry “unprecedented” and could hurt Nebraska’s sales of products needed by some of these fledgling companies.
A lot of these companies purchase products that are made in states like Nebraska, especially agricultural products “I don’t think banning that is good for Nebraska or good for Nebraska overall. And ultimately, I think Nebraskans, just like the rest of the United States, tend to let consumers decide what they want to buy, what they want to eat, and what they want to feed their families, and I think Nebraska has more to lose than to gain,” Gerber said.
But Pillen and DeKay say the bill protects consumers and Nebraska producers.
“Their goal is simple. They want to put animal production agriculture out of business,” Pillen said.
“People are going to keep loving their meat, and we wouldn’t want it any other way. This is adding, not subtracting,” Gerber said.
Some Nebraska agriculture groups have mixed opinions about the bills.
The Nebraska Cattlemen said in statement that the cell-cultured products should be required to adhere to the same regulatory standards as beef.
“While we undoubtedly know we have a superior product to companies using bio reactor slurries, bovine serum and other unknown contents, we must prevent false and deceptive marketing practices. Beef producers deserve a level playing field in the marketplace and must continue to advocate for transparency to protect consumers by regulation and enforcement of clear labeling standards,” said Nebraska Cattlemen Exec. Vice President Laura Field.
Nebraska Farm Bureau President Mark McHargue said in a statement, “Lab-cultured products should not be classified as meat, as they do not conform to the traditional and commonly accepted definitions of these terms.”
However, the NFB does not support a blanket state-level ban on the products.
“Just like we adamantly oppose efforts by other states to place unscientific animal welfare restrictions on Nebraska pork and poultry producers,” McHargue said.
Pillen is also supporting a bill sponsored by State Sen. Mike Jacobson that would ensure crop and soil, and other data generated from precision agriculture remains the property of the producer and not used or sold by the tech company offering a service.
“We the farmers and ranchers cannot be duped to give that up,” Pillen said.
“Make sure that the data that is in chips in our cattle stay with who owns them so that it can’t be sold off to large, publicly traded companies,” Pillen said.
Pillen is also calling for a governor’s task force to study water quantity and quality.
And he is backing a bill that would merge the Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Environment and Energy.
“I think that what it will help us do is focus on water quality and quantity. It improves Nebraska’s long-range planning for water and natural resource management of Soil and Health,” Pillen said.
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