Idaho lawmaker introduces bill to require labeling for lab-grown meat and insect proteins

Representative Heather Scott of District 2 introduced RS31941, a proposed bill to require transparent front-of-package labeling for alternative animal proteins including cultured (lab-grown) meat and insect-based proteins, and to give the Idaho Department of Agriculture oversight to enforce those requirements.

Scott told the House Agriculture Committee that RS31941 would add a new chapter to Title 37 and require labeling that makes the common name of the product clear on packaging and in restaurant displays. “I think Idahoans have the right to know what’s in the food they eat,” Scott said. The bill also includes a civil penalty provision; Scott described a $500-per-item penalty as “a start.” The fiscal note, she said, shows the department can implement the rule with existing staff.

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