South Dakota and South Carolina Advance Bills Mandating Clear Labeling of Cultivated Meat

Lawmakers in South Dakota and South Carolina have advanced bills mandating clear labeling for cultivated meat products, reflecting a growing interest in transparency for consumers navigating alternative proteins. In South Dakota, a bill defining “cell-cultured protein” has been unanimously approved by the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee. The legislation requires products made from cell cultures or DNA of host animals to be labeled as “cell-cultured” or “lab-grown” to avoid being considered misbranded.

In South Carolina, the Senate Agriculture Committee has advanced a bill requiring lab-grown food products to be conspicuously labeled to distinguish them from conventional meat. The bill mandates clear front-of-package labeling to identify lab-grown food as distinct from traditional animal proteins like beef, poultry, and fish. While these bills have garnered support from alternative protein advocates, traditional animal agriculture advocates have expressed concerns about labeling lab-grown products as “chicken” or “beef” and potentially impacting the state’s agricultural economy.