Cultivated Meat Labeling Laws: Iowa state lawmakers want to tighten rules; Missouri upholds theirs

As more states look to pass laws protecting the meat industry, lawmakers in Iowa are one step closer to prohibiting plant and cultivated meat products from being labeled as “meat.”

Iowa’s House just passed a bill allowing the state to create rules and issue penalties on food makers who mislabel alt meat products. Additional restrictions are in the text for egg alternatives and would ban residents on federal food assistance funds form buying them. The bill also puts a stop to serving cultivated meat in public schools throughout the state.

Missouri has won a lawsuit over its rules surrounding meat labeling laws. In 2018, the state passed a law requiring producers to say if their products are plant-based or lab-grown. Alt meat companies sued saying it was unconstitutional, and the court ruled the state was within its legal bounds. Missouri’s Attorney General says it is important to make sure food is correctly marketed for both consumers and farmers.

Related Stories
The University of Missouri takes us along to see how their Center for Regenerative Agriculture is helping farmers implement new, environmentally sustainable practices.
The Texas Farm Bureau introduces us to Colby and Ashley McClendon, one of the organization’s outstanding young farmer and rancher contest finalists expanding their family’s sixth-generation legacy operation through a commitment to regenerative agriculture and education.