A bipartisan bill introduced in both the House and Senate, known as the Fair and Accurate Ingredient Representation (FAIR) on Labels Act of 2024, aims to establish new labeling requirements for plant-based and cell-cultured meat alternative products. The bill, introduced by Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) in the Senate and Rep. Mark Alford (R-Mo.) in the House, seeks to ensure clear labeling for consumers, including terms like “imitation” and “cell-cultured” on product labels. It addresses concerns about transparency in food labeling, especially for products designed to resemble traditional meat and poultry.
The FAIR Labels Act introduces specific definitions for “imitation meat” and “imitation poultry” for plant-based meat alternatives. These definitions would apply to products that resemble meat but do not contain actual meat. The bill requires the use of “imitation” or similar terms on labels and mandates a disclaimer stating that these products do not contain meat or poultry.
For cell-cultured meat and poultry products, the bill establishes definitions and grants the USDA authority over their labeling. It requires the use of terms like “cell-cultured” or “lab-grown” on labels to clearly differentiate these products from traditionally farmed meat.
The bill has received support from various agricultural and livestock trade groups, who believe it will help prevent consumer confusion and protect the reputation of traditional meat products in the marketplace.
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