Source: Lisa M. Keefe, MEATINGPLACE, 4/12/18



While some meat organizations have appealed to the federal government directly to define how technology-enabled developments such as lab-grown cultured meat products should be categorized, legislators in the state of Missouri have moved to take matters into their own, more local hands.

Two bills have been introduced in the state House and Senate, each prohibiting “misrepresenting a product as meat that is not derived from harvested production livestock or poultry.” Both versions of the bill have passed their respective committees but have not yet been scheduled for further action.

Missouri’s state-level action comes as the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and the National Farmers Union (NFU) call on USDA to establish labeling requirements that better inform consumers about the difference between products that come from food animals and those that were created in a laboratory.

Earlier this year, the United States Cattlemen’s Association (USCA) petitioned USDA on the issue relative to beef.

For more stories, go to www.meatingplace.com.