The Alabama Senate passed a bill on May 23 to ensure the definition of “meat” should only be labeled on livestock-derived beef products.
Food products containing cultured animal tissue and not derived directly from an animal would not be eligible to be labeled as either meat or a meat food product.
House Bill 518, sponsored by Alabama Rep. Danny Crawford (R-5) and Alabama Sen. David Sessions (R-Grand Bay), previously passed in the House of Representatives 97-2 and was forwarded to Gov. Kay Ivey on the afternoon of May 23.
“This is proactive legislation to ensure clarity in food labeling,” Sessions said in a statement. “Around the country, there are more and more companies trying to market lab-grown products as meat, which is misleading since they aren’t derived from actual livestock production.”
Sessions also pointed out the unknown nutritional and safety risks of lab developed meats, stating, “Let’s see how the science develops through further research, and make a clear distinction between meat that is farm-raised on the one hand, and lab-based products on the other.”
If signed by the governor, this bill would add Alabama to the list of eight other states that have enacted lab-grown meat labeling laws.
In addition, meat labeling bills have been introduced in a total of 25 states so far.
