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Committee adopts substitute for lab-grown meat labeling bill; debate centers on consumer clarity and terminology
Summary
The House Agriculture Committee adopted a substitute amendment to House Bill 4,076 to require labeling for lab-grown meats; members debated terminology and whether to defer to future federal standards.
The House Agriculture Committee on March 20 voted to adopt substitute H-1 for House Bill 4,076, a bill that would require products derived from cell-cultured or lab-grown animal material to be labeled so consumers can distinguish them from traditionally raised meat.
Representative Alexander, the bill—s sponsor, told the committee the measure is intended to provide "truth in advertising" rather than to restrict new products: "Consumers have a right to know whether or not their protein comes from the hoof or comes from a container," he said. The committee adopted the substitute on a roll call of 10 yeas, 0 nays, 0 passes.
Members asked whether a federal standard is likely and how the state language would relate to future USDA or FDA action. Representative Skaggs asked about federal movement toward a nationwide labeling structure; Alexander said the bill uses language similar to other states and could be adjusted if the USDA or FDA issues a federal standard. Representative Devendorf asked about the multiple descriptive terms in the substitute ("lab-grown," "cell-cultured," "cultivated," "manufactured"); Alexander said the draft cast a wide net to cover different industry terms while allowing for future alignment with federal language.
The substitute also includes a provision addressing products that contain a limited percentage of animal-derived cultured protein; committee members questioned why the draft uses a 20% threshold for labeling in one clause. Alexander said the 20% figure reflects a starting point used in some drafts to identify products that include a defined proportion of cultivated protein.
Ending: The committee adopted the substitute and left open the prospect of aligning with any future federal labeling standards; the bill will proceed to the committee—s next steps in the legislative process.
