Lab-grown meat ban proposed

A bill that would bar the sale of cultivated-protein food products, or “lab-grown meat,” throughout the state was considered Feb. 18 by the Agriculture Committee.

LB246, introduced by Niobrara Sen. Barry DeKay at the request of Gov. Jim Pillen, would prohibit the production, import, distribution, promotion, display or sale of any cultivated-protein food in Nebraska.

The bill defines cultivated-protein foods, in part, as “having one or more sensory attributes that resemble a type of tissue originating from an agricultural food animal but that, in lieu of being derived from meat processing, is derived from manufacturing cells or nonanimal sources.”

Under the bill, lab-grown meat would be considered an adulterated food product and prohibited from manufacture or sale in Nebraska. In addition to penalties for adulterated foods under the Pure Food Act, the production and sale of lab-grown meat would be subject to penalties under the Deceptive Trade Practices Act.

An amendment brought by DeKay to the committee hearing would clarify that plant-based meat analogues, or meat substitutes made from plant-based ingredients, would not be considered lab-grown meat or be barred from sale in Nebraska.

Alabama and Florida have passed bills outlawing lab-grown meat, DeKay said, with six other states currently considering similar bans. He said that until more is known about the nutritional value and safety of lab-grown meat, these products should not be available for consumers to purchase.

Additionally, DeKay said, lab-grown meat producers gain unfair advantages from meat industry investments, marketing and production resources due to a lack of labeling requirements.

“We need not fear competition, but we want the competition to be fair and honest,” DeKay said.

Sherry Vinton, director of the state Department of Agriculture, testified in support of the bill.

LB246 is a necessary step in preserving and safeguarding traditional production agriculture, she said, and would protect consumers of “actual” meat products from misleading marketing of lab-grown meat products.

“Lab-grown meat is an untested and potentially unsafe alternative to wholesome, real meat being raised by farmers right here in our state,” Vinton said.

Nebraska rancher Rusty Kemp also testified in support of the measure. He said the bill would safeguard the meat industry from competition similar to what the dairy industry has experienced from milk alternatives, like almond milk, which are marketed and sold alongside the traditional dairy product.

“We do not want to let our market share get diminished by an inferior imposter substitute,” Kemp said.

Daniel Gertner testified in opposition to LB246 on behalf of the Good Food Institute, a nonprofit organization that promotes plant- and cell-based alternatives to animal products.

Meat alternatives are not intended to replace traditional agriculture but rather provide an alternative method to meet global meat demand, which is expected to double by 2050, Gertner said. Additionally, he said, alternative meat products can help reduce supply chain disruptions and dependence on imports.

Craig Uden, representing the Nebraska Cattlemen and Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Bruce Rieker, representing the Nebraska Farm Bureau and Ag Leaders Working Group, testified in a neutral position. Both suggested that the committee consider labeling requirements instead of an outright ban.

The committee took no immediate action on the bill.