Cattle production has been a big part of Florida’s heritage since the 1500s when Spanish explorers brought livestock to the Florida Peninsula. By the 1600s Florida was home to 34 cattle ranches and 20,000 heads of cattle. The cattle industry is a viable industry in the State of Florida with a total of 1,620,000 head and 862,000 head dedicated to beef cattle production. Jackson County’s is estimated at a total of 37,500 head and 21,500 head are dedicated to beef cows and heifers that have calved.  The beef industry is a very important component of our state and local economies. The industry provides much-needed jobs here in our great county and provides a source of sustainable and naturally raised food that is sold and consumed locally and globally.

The Florida beef industry and the Florida consumer needed an extra layer of protection from Big Brother a/k/a The Government concerning “cultured meat” a/k/a as lab-grown meat. Senate Bill 1084 was signed into law on May 1, 2024, and will provide that extra layer of protection with clarification and the prohibition of cultured meat in the State.

“The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) describes human food made with cultured animal cells as the ability to take a small number of cells from living animals and grow them in a controlled environment to create food.”

“The USDA summarizes the process of making cultured meat below:

  • Step 1: Scientists typically start with a sample of cells from the tissue of an animal or fish, a process that typically does not permanently harm or kill the animal. Some cells from the sample are selected, screened, and grown to make a “bank” of cells to store for later use.
  • Step 2: To make food, a small number of cells are taken from the cell bank and placed in a tightly controlled and monitored environment (e.g., a very large, sealed vessel) that supports growth and cellular multiplication by supplying appropriate nutrients and other factors.
  • Step 3: After the cells have multiplied many times over into billions or trillions of cells, additional factors (e.g., protein growth factors, new surfaces for cell attachment, additional nutrients) are added to the controlled environment to enable the cells to differentiate into various cell types and assume characteristics of muscle, fat, or connective tissue cells.
  • Step 4: Once the cells have differentiated into the desired type, the cellular material can be harvested from the controlled environment and prepared using conventional food processing and packaging methods.”

“In 2019 the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service agreed to establish a joint regulatory framework for human foods made from cultured cells of livestock and poultry to help ensure that any such products brought to market are safe, unadulterated, and truthfully labeled.”

Florida Statue 500.03, went into effect May 1, 2024, when SB 1084 was signed into law and provides “a definition for cultivated meat to mean any meat or food product produced from cultured animal cells.

Florida Statue 500.452 went into effect May 1, 2024, when SB 1084 was signed into law and “prohibits the manufacture for sale, sale, hold or offer for sale, or distribution of cultivated meat in this state. The bill also provides the penalties for knowingly violating this section and gives the department rulemaking authority.”

Governor Ron DeSantis stated, “Today, Florida is fighting back against the global elite’s plan to force the world to eat meat grown in a petri dish or bugs to achieve their authoritarian goals.” “Our administration will continue to focus on investing in our local farmers and ranchers, and we will save our beef.”

We must know the global, federal, state, and local forum agendas and successfully maneuver any seizure of power of the people. We also must be very aware of the drivers of our economies and how the seizure of power will greatly affect our citizens. We must remain in an innovative state of problem solving for current and future adversities and we must fight to preserve our rights and freedoms for the next generation. Join me in August and November 2024 and vote for leadership who is innovative and will fight for the next generation and their American Dreams.

I will leave you with those thoughts and that concludes this week’s The Straight Truth With Mary Ann Hutton.