House Ag Committee introduces bill requiring labeling for lab-grown and insect-based animal proteins

The Idaho House Agriculture Committee voted to introduce RS31941, a bill that would require clear labeling of alternative animal proteins, after a presentation by Representative Heather Scott.

Representative Heather Scott said the proposal would add a new chapter to Title 37 to establish definitions and front-of-package labeling requirements so consumers “can make an informed decision” about products made from cultured animal cells and insect-derived proteins. “I think Idahoans have the right to know what’s in the food they eat,” Scott said.

Scott told the committee the measure covers “alternative animal proteins,” which the bill text explicitly includes cultivated (lab-grown) meat and insect proteins. The bill would require common-name identification on packaging and would allow scientific names to be included; it also sets out ingredient-listing requirements and gives the Idaho Department of Agriculture…