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House advances bill requiring labeling for lab-grown meat; supporters warn against overreach
Summary
House Bill 134, which would require products made with laboratory-grown meat to be labeled, passed the House after debate on whether the measure could hamper innovation and how prominent labeling should be.
The North Carolina House passed House Bill 134 on March 25, a measure that would require businesses selling cultivated or laboratory-grown meat to label such products to avoid consumer confusion. The bill passed its second and third readings and was ordered sent to the Senate.
Sponsor Representative Dixon said the legislation would "instruct those with sale or manufacturing sale grown, meat laboratory meat, label it properly." He asked legislators for a green vote and said he would take questions. "I would appreciate your green vote," Dixon said.
Opponents cautioned the bill could stifle an emerging industry and pointed to concerns with the proposed labeling format. Representative Butler-Rice said many existing food-labeling standards are governed by federal agencies and use much smaller type sizes than the bill would require. "It concerns me that it might not be just an accuracy and labeling bill because we're using a 20 font here," Butler-Rice said, adding that North Carolina companies are active in the cell-cultured meat sector and that the technology may reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address food security.
The House recorded a second-reading vote of 106 yeas and 11 nays and later approved the bill on third reading. Debate focused on consumer transparency and the balance between protecting established producers and allowing innovation in cell-cultured products.
No specific enforcement agency or penalty provisions were discussed on the House floor during the recorded debate. The bill now moves to the Senate for further consideration.
