FORT WORTH, Texas (January 21, 2026) - Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association President Carl Ray Polk Jr. released the following statement after a federal judge denied the State of Texas' motion to dismiss a lawsuit challenging the state's ban on cell-cultured protein:

"Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association remains committed to preserving the reputation and integrity of Texas beef, a product our membership has spent generations perfecting. Our association will not stand idly by while animal cells grown in a lab are fed to Texas consumers with no long-term health studies proving their safety.

The same industries, individuals and organizations who promote and finance this unsafe product are the first to oppose or mount legal challenges against laws that require them to disclose to consumers their product is cell-cultured. Any industry that refuses transparency with consumers should not be considered innovative, but rather dishonest."

###