Texas has officially banned the sale of lab-grown meat for two years, prohibiting the manufacture, processing, possession, distribution, and sale of what lawmakers call “cell-cultured protein.” This restriction is part of Senate Bill 261, which went into effect on September 1, 2025, and is sparking debate over consumer choice and the future of food.
Supporters of the law argue that the ban is about protecting agriculture and ensuring food integrity. “Ranchers across Texas work tirelessly to raise healthy cattle and produce high-quality beef,” said Carl Ray Polk Jr., president of the Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, according to Dallas Morning News. “Our association is grateful for those legislators who voted to support this legislation and understood the core of this bill, to protect our consumers, the beef industry, and animal agriculture.”
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Critics, however, argue that this is government overreach. Paul Sherman, senior attorney at The Institute of Justice, told The Dallas Morning News that “the Texas ban on cultivated meat is a classic example of special interest legislation. The law has nothing to do with public health and safety, and everything to do with protecting the powerful agriculture lobby from innovative out-of-state competition.” Sherman is currently leading a lawsuit challenging a similar ban in Florida and said, “We are hopeful that the courts will stand up for the right of consumers to choose for themselves what foods they want to eat.”
For Catholics, this issue invites reflection on stewardship and the dignity of creation. Genesis reminds us that God gave humanity “every moving thing that lives” for food (Genesis 9:3), a gift to be received with gratitude and care. Choosing food that comes from the land, raised responsibly and ethically, honors that gift.
This is why we encourage Catholics to support ranchers who work with God’s creation rather than against it. Montana Ranch and Cattle provides high-quality, grass-fed beef from real ranches where cattle are raised on open pastures, not grown in a lab. Grass-fed beef is nutrient-dense, free from synthetic processes, and supports rural families who depend on agriculture for their livelihood.
Real beef. Real ranch. Real food. When you choose grass-fed beef, you not only nourish your body, you support a way of life rooted in care for creation and respect for God’s design.
Visit www.montanaranchandcattle.com to learn more and make the switch to grass-fed beef today — Delivery available to the Western USA.
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