House Agriculture committee backs introduction of bill to require labeling for lab-grown meat and insect proteins

BOISE — The Idaho House Agriculture Committee on an early voice vote agreed to introduce RS 31941, a bill that would add a new chapter to Title 37 to require front-of-package and ingredient-list labeling for alternative animal proteins, including lab-grown (cultured) meat and insects.

Rep. Heather Scott, sponsor of RS 31941, told committee members the measure is “designed to empower consumers regarding the foods they purchase and consume.” Scott said the draft text would require common and scientific names on packaging, set ingredient-listing expectations and give the Idaho Department of Agriculture authority to oversee compliance and assess penalties for violations.

The nut of Scott’s proposal, she said, is transparency: “I think we as Idahoans have the right to know what’s in our food,” she said. Scott said the bill does not ban products but aims to distinguish traditional livestock…