Lab-grown meat manufacturer sues Florida over ban

A California-based company that sells lab-grown meat sued Florida over its new ban on the product.

Why it matters: Florida in July became the first state in the U.S. to ban the sale of lab-grown meat — a move that UPSIDE Foods argued in its lawsuit is unconstitutional.

• The complaint claims that the state ban violates the Supremacy Clause and the Commerce Clause.

Catch up quick: Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the ban into law in May at an event in Hardee County.

• "In the State of Florida, we've put down the marker very clearly: We stand with agriculture," DeSantis said at the press conference. "We stand with the cattle ranchers. We stand with our farmers."
• The law makes it a second-degree misdemeanor to manufacture and sell the meat, punishable by up to 60 days' imprisonment.

Driving the news: UPSIDE Foods asked a federal court to block the state from enforcing its ban in a 43-page complaint that cited barbs DeSantis lobbed at the news conference and his "save the beef" podium.

• The company produces lab-grown meat by collecting animal cells and feeding them nutrients. The cells grow and are harvested into products that taste like regular meat.

• UPSIDE Foods says it had planned to distribute its product at Miami's Art Basel event in December.

What they're saying: "UPSIDE doesn't want to force anyone to eat cultivated meat," the lawsuit reads.

• "But it does want the opportunity to distribute its product to willing consumers so that those consumers can decide for themselves whether UPSIDE's product is worth eating."

The other side: The governor's office did not respond to Axios' request for comment.