DOD backs off on lab-based protein

The Defense Department has backed off on its proposal to consider lab-grown protein as a food source for troops, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association said today.

DOD did not make an announcement, but an official made the statement in a meeting with several U.S. senators, an NCBA spokesman said.

In June, NCBA said DOD had “sponsored” a research grant that will fund the development of lab-grown meat products by manufacturing company BioMADE.

NCBA said it has worked with agriculture allies in Congress to secure the introduction of several amendments to the fiscal year 2025 Defense Appropriations bill, National Defense Authorization Act, and fiscal year 2025 Agriculture Appropriations bill, aimed at preventing lab-grown protein from ever showing up on the plates of American servicemembers.

“The Department of Defense can and should be on the cutting edge of science, and we respect their work to investigate defense applications for new tools and technology,” said NCBA Senior Director of Government Affairs Sigrid Johannes.

“However, there’s a big difference between industrial or defense applications and the food we put in our bodies. U.S. farmers and ranchers are more than capable of meeting the military’s need for high-quality protein.”