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House requires labels for cell-cultivated meat to inform consumers, advances bill
Summary
Members passed a bill requiring clear labeling for cell-cultivated meat so consumers can distinguish it from conventional meat; sponsors framed the measure as a transparency and consumer-protection law for Colorado shoppers and producers.
The Colorado House on March 7 passed House Bill 12-03, which requires that meat produced by cell-cultivation be plainly labeled so consumers can distinguish it from conventional meat. Sponsors said the requirement is a transparency measure so that shoppers and agricultural producers can make informed choices in a changing marketplace.
Representative AML Winter, a sponsor, said the bill promotes fair competition and protects agricultural interests in rural Colorado, while Representative McCormick added that the measure supplies straightforward consumer information and uses terms the U.S. Department of Agriculture has suggested for national uniformity. A floor amendment removed the word “fake” from a list of possible qualifiers and retained terms such as “cell cultivated” and “imitation” to describe the product on the label.
Supporters argued that transparent labeling lets consumers with dietary, cultural or health reasons choose between products and does not ban or otherwise disadvantage new technologies; it only asks that they be explicitly identified. Opposition was limited in the floor debate; sponsors said the approach is consistent with the federal Food Safety and Inspection Service’s suggested qualifiers and with existing labeling norms for imitation products.
What’s next: The bill passed the House with amendments and will proceed through the legislative process.
