Georgia lawmakers weigh labeling or banning lab-grown meat

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - A newly introduced bill in the Georgia House of Representatives aims to regulate how plant-based and lab-grown meat products are labeled in the state, preventing them from being advertised as conventional meat.

Another bill would prohibit lab-grown meat altogether in the state of Georgia. 

What we know:

House Bill 163 seeks to regulate the advertising and labeling of plant-based and lab-grown meat products in grocery stores and restaurants. If enacted, the bill would:

• Prohibit the use of the term "meat" for plant-based and lab-grown alternatives.
• Define "conventional meat" as any food made from the carcass of an animal, including cattle, poultry, swine, sheep, goats, fish, and shellfish.
• Establish "cell-cultured meat" as food grown from animal muscle or organ tissue designed to replicate conventional meat’s sensory characteristics.
• Define plant-based alternatives as food derived from plants designed to mimic conventional meat.
• Require restaurants and food service establishments to disclose when they serve non-conventional meat products by posting clear signage or menu notations.

House Bill 201 seeks to prohibit prohibit selling, offering for sale, trading, or distributing lab-grown or cell-cultured meat.

The backstory:

The rise of plant-based and lab-grown meat alternatives has sparked debate across the U.S. over how these products should be labeled and marketed. 

Supporters of such regulations argue that consumers may be misled by meat alternatives labeled similarly to conventional meat. Meanwhile, plant-based and lab-grown food advocates contend that restrictive labeling laws unfairly target emerging food technologies.

Georgia joins a growing number of states that have considered legislation to regulate meat labeling, with similar laws already passed in states like Missouri and Arkansas.

RELATED: Alternative Proteins: Navigating the Maze of U.S. Federal and State Meat Labeling Requirements

What's next:

House Bill 163 still needs to be debated and voted on in the Georgia House of Representatives. If it passes, it will then move to the Senate for further consideration. Lawmakers, restaurant owners, and food industry representatives will likely weigh in on how this legislation could impact businesses and consumers across the state.

No action has been taken on House Bill 201 at this time.