Mississippi has become the first U.S. state to ban cell‑cultured dairy products with the passage of HB 1153. Signed into law on March 23, the legislation prohibits the manufacture, sale, and distribution of lab‑grown dairy while updating labeling requirements and inspection authority. The law takes effect July 1, with fines of $500 per violation per day, up to $10,000.
Sponsored by Rep. Bill Pigott, the bill defines a “cell‑cultured dairy product” as one intended to replicate or substitute for milk, derived from animal cells cultured outside a live animal. It also strengthens rules for labeling and clarifies definitions for meat, plant protein, insect protein, cultivated protein and manufactured protein.
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The measure also directs state agencies and public institutions to avoid purchasing misbranded or cultivated protein products and requires retailers and restaurants to clearly disclose whether items are meat or nonmeat at the point of sale.
The law follows a 2024 Mississippi measure banning lab‑grown meat, which took effect in 2025. Seven other states — Florida, Alabama, Montana, Indiana, Nebraska, Texas, and South Dakota — have also banned or placed moratoriums on cultivated meat, according to the National Agricultural Law Center.
Mississippi Agriculture Commissioner Andy Gipson celebrated the legislation at the state capitol during a cow-milking competition on National Ag Day. “You are what you eat, so eat REAL farm‑raised food and dairy,” he wrote in a Facebook post.
At the federal level, dairy groups including the National Milk Producers Federation continue to advocate for legislation enforcing labeling standards to prevent plant‑based and lab‑grown alternatives from using terms like milk, cheese, or yogurt.
