(The Center Square) – Illinois plans to pump $5 million into alternative protein research at state universities, aiming to boost the plant-based and fermentation food-tech sector and make the state a hub for agricultural innovation.
But not everyone is on board.
State Rep. Chris Miller, R-Oakland, voiced skepticism about the initiative, questioning whether taxpayer money would be better spent supporting traditional farmers directly.
“There’s no end to the Democrats’ scheming and scamming to try to destroy the livestock industry,” Miller said. “They tried this alternative protein fiasco up in the suburbs a couple of years ago. It didn’t take long for them to figure out there was zero demand for cockroaches and crickets and alternative types of protein. People want the real deal — the purest protein we have through our cattle industry.”
Beyond Meat is facing a consumer class-action lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in 2022 over allegedly overstated protein claims on multiple products. Miller also criticized the focus on higher education research rather than direct support for farmers.
“They’ll try to throw millions at this, and it’s already proven to be a failed idea,” he said… read more.
Rep. Miller Files Legislation to Ban Cultivated Meat in Illinois
Springfield, IL…State Representative Chris Miller (R-Hindsboro) has taken swift action to ban cultivated meat in Illinois by filing House Bill 5872. Growing concerns from the notion of replacing real meat with laboratories to replicate a natural process is the biggest factor. Rep. Miller said the legislation would protect individual’s health, farmland, and agricultural products.
“Agriculture is big business in Illinois, and we don’t need fake meat laboratories creating a highly expensive product that tries to replicate real meat,” said Rep. Miller. “Illinois farmers know what they’re doing, and it they do it well.”