Ohio lawmakers renew push to regulate imitation meat and egg products ...Middle East

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Ohio lawmakers have reintroduced a bill that would regulate how imitation meat and egg products are branded in the state.

Reps. Roy Klopfenstein (R-Haviland) and Jack Daniels (R-New Franklin) introduced House Bill 10 in late January. The legislation would disallow the sale of "misbranded" imitation meat or egg products, which are foods that mimic the taste and texture of animal products but are made from plants.

The bill classifies such products as misbranded if the label includes an “identifying meat term,” such as beef, wing or cold cut, without a word such as imitation, fake or vegan in a uniform size directly by the meat term. 

“If they want to lead with the plant-based logo or if they want to lead with ‘cultured protein’ on the label, that’s fine,” Klopfenstein previously told NBC4. “The prominent thing on the label shouldn’t be ‘chicken nugget,’ because that’s what the consumer sees first and that’s what we’re after.”

Along with plant-based products, the requirements in the bill would also apply to cultured, or lab-grown, meat. The United States approved the sale of lab-grown meat for the first time in 2023, but it is not yet available in grocery stores.

Food facilities – including manufacturers and distributors – that sell products classified as misbranded under the bill would be required to pay a civil penalty of up to $10,000 for each day a violation occurs. The state attorney general, upon written request by the Director of Agriculture, would take action against entities that violate the guidelines.

The bill would also prevent K-12 districts along with Ohio colleges and universities from purchasing misbranded imitation meat and egg products, as well as all lab-grown meat. It would additionally require misbranded and lab-grown products to be excluded from the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Nutrition Program in Ohio, which provides food assistance to currently or recently pregnant women.

Klopfenstein and Daniels introduced a similar bill in September, which ultimately did not pass by the end of the legislative session. It received one introductory hearing.

While the previous bill did not progress to the point of receiving opponent testimony, animal welfare and environmental protection organizations may be among those who speak out against the effort. Such groups argue that lab-grown meat has a smaller environmental impact compared with traditional meat, improves food safety and is a more humane alternative to slaughtering billions of animals for food.

Daniels told NBC4 in October that he believes the legislation will help protect farmers from losing business to lab-grown products.

HB 10 currently has 16 Republican and three Democrat cosponsors. It has been assigned to the House’s Agriculture Committee and awaits its first hearing. 

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