'Lab-grown' meat maker hosts Miami tasting party as Florida ban goes into effect

As Florida’s ban on “lab-grown” meat is set to go into effect, one manufacturer hosted a last hurrah with a cultivated meat-tasting party in Miami. California-based Upside Foods hosted dozens of guests Thursday evening at a rooftop reception. CEO and founder Uma Valeti believes people should have a choice to choose what they want to put on their plate. The U.S. approved the sale of what’s now being called “cell-cultivated” or “cell-cultured” meat for the first time in June 2023. Earlier this year, both Florida and Alabama banned the sale of cultivated meat and seafood. Other states and federal lawmakers are also looking to restrict it.