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Ohio Farm Bureau urges clarity on cell‑cultured meat in schools in support of House Bill 10
Summary
Whitney Bowers of the Ohio Farm Bureau testified in favor of House Bill 10, saying the measure would give parents and school districts greater clarity about the presence and labeling of cell‑cultured (lab‑grown) meat in K–12 school meals and allow districts to develop policies and communications around the product.
Whitney Bowers, director of state policy and grassroots engagement at the Ohio Farm Bureau, provided proponent testimony on House Bill 10 at a second hearing of the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee on Sept. 30, 2025. Bowers said the bill would help ensure transparency for consumers and allow school districts to develop policies around the use of cell‑cultured or lab‑grown protein alternatives in K–12 meals.
"Consumers have the right to know what they are purchasing and accurate labeling ensures they can make informed decisions about their food," Bowers told the committee, describing customer questions she receives when selling beef directly. She said the bill would give parents clearer information about what their children are served in schools and enable districts to have community conversations and policies around an emerging product.
During questioning, Ranking Member Hicks Hudson asked whether schools offer separate meals to students with special dietary needs and whether those accommodations would cover cell‑cultured products. Bowers said she could only speak to her own district's practices and that local districts work to accommodate those needs. The sponsors were asked to follow up with more detail on district procedures for special‑diet accommodations.
Bowers noted written proponent testimony from the Ohio Port Council on the committee's iPASS system. The committee heard no additional live testimony and took no vote during the Sept. 30 hearing; the measure remains under committee consideration.
