AMERICA’S cattle industry says the country’s Department of Defence has walked back a proposal to invest in the development of lab grown meat – after producers and the industry’s peak body condemned the proposal.
Earlier this year, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association led opposition to a Defence call for applications to share in funding for alternative protein projects saying it was outrageous that the country’s war heroes could be fed like “lab rats”.
In a press release, the NCBA said the DoD was no longer pursuing lab grown protein projects for human consumption, with president and Wyoming rancher Mark Eisele saying the country’s troops deserved better.
“NCBA was the first and only cattle group to uncover this stream of DoD funding that could go toward lab-grown protein projects, and we were the first and only group to fight back,” he said.
“After weeks of engaging with Congress and speaking out against this plan, we are thrilled to have DoD confirmation that lab-grown protein is not on the menu for our nation’s servicemembers.
“These men and women make the greatest sacrifices every day in service to our country and they deserve high-quality, nutritious, and wholesome food like real beef grown by American farmers and ranchers.”
The American industry has been leading the concerns about the lab-grown product and the potential for it take away market share from livestock producers
Mr Eisele raised concerns about the lab-grown protein in an address to the Qld Rural Press Club at its Beef 2024 event in Rockhampton.
Kerry Lonergan
In his address he signed an agreement with Cattle Australia for the two organisations to work together on several issues – including the prospect of competition from lab-grown meat.
The agreement noted that while there are no lab-grown proteins that imitate beef currently authorised for retail in the US, several companies are attempting to bring the products to market.
“It is critically important that these products are properly vetted by regulatory authorities so they do not pose a potential risk to consumer health and food safety, and it is important that they are labelled in a way that is transparent to consumers so they can choose between naturally produced beef and lab-grown proteins,” the statement said.
“Additionally, the statement supports efforts to continue sharing information on cattle industry sustainability and promoting the benefits of cattle production such as improving wildlife habitat, natural water filtration, and greenspace protection benefits.”
Producers can meet the need for defence troops
NCBA senior director for government affairs Sigrid Johannes said the industry had no issues meeting the nutritional needs of the country’s troops.
“The Department of Defense can and should be on the cutting edge of science, and we respect their work to investigate defence applications for new tools and technology,” Ms Johannes said.
“However, there’s a big difference between industrial or defence applications and the food we put in our bodies. U.S armers and ranchers are more than capable of meeting the military’s need for high-quality protein.
“NCBA appreciates the DoD’s responsiveness on this issue, and we thank our allies in Congress for quickly acting to ensure that only the most wholesome and unprocessed products end up on the plate for our servicemembers.”