February 18, 2025:
South Dakota lawmakers moved closer to restricting lab-grown meat Tuesday (Feb. 18, 2025), as a Senate committee approved two bills targeting the emerging food technology.
The Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee voted 4-3 to advance House Bill 1109, which would ban the sale and production of cell-cultured meat in South Dakota. It includes a sunset clause that says the ban will expire in 2035 unless renewed. The committee also passed House Bill 1118, prohibiting state money from being used to research or promote lab-grown meat products.
The legislation comes amid federal approval of cell-cultured chicken products by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Food and Drug Administration.
South Dakota Retailers Association Executive Director Nathan Sanderson testified saying, “You’re being asked to say the South Dakota legislature knows better than USDA and FDA whether a product is safe.”
Tamar Lieberman from the Good Food Institute testified that lab-grown meat could address future food needs. She said, “Global meat demand is expected to double by 2050, and there is quite simply not enough available grazing and farming land to satisfy that demand.”
Both bills advance to the full Senate.
Story courtesy of the South Dakota Broadcasters Assocation.
.
January 30, 2025:
South Dakota lawmakers, so far, agree with the state’s Department of Agricultural and Natural Resources that “meat” not originating from animals should be labeled as such.
A committee of Senate lawmakers unanimously signed off on House Bill 1022 Thursday (Jan. 30, 2025).
DANR brought the legislation in response to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s recent approval for two types of cell-based meatless products. If the measure becomes law, any such products would be required to have a label that prominently displays the words “cell-cultured” or “lab grown” in a place immediately adjacent to the name of the food on its packaging.
During proponent testimony, South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association Executive Director Taya Runyan said cell cultured protein products are new. She said with this regulation in place, if consumers see these products the labeling will help them distinguish between the cell-cultured products and traditionally raised meat products.
Sen. Curt Voight, a freshman Republican from Rapid City, stressed that he would like to see grocers provide prominent signage not just on the product itself, but also within stores— similar to how organic or gluten-free food sections are denoted in supermarkets.
South Dakota Retailers Association Executive Director Nathan Sanderson said as currently written, the bill would not apply to anything on a restaurant menu or anything like that. He added that his members want to be sure any labeling requirements wouldn’t be exclusive to South Dakota.
There was no opposition testimony.
The bill has already been passed by the House.
Story courtesy of the South Dakota Broadcasters Assocation.
January 21, 2025:
A South Dakota House committee voted unanimously Tuesday (Jan. 21, 2025) to require special labels for lab-grown meat products.
House Bill 1022 aims to help consumers distinguish between traditional and cell-cultured meat.
The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee voted 13-0 to approve requiring lab-grown meat products to be marked as “cell-cultured” or “lab-grown” on their labels.
The bill comes as federal regulators have begun approving lab-grown meat for production in the U.S. These products start with animal cells that are fed sugars and proteins so they grow into muscle and fat tissue.
Cheyenne Tant, a state Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources policy advisor, says South Dakota consumers deserve transparency when deciding whether to purchase a product grown in a lab versus products grown by hardworking farmers and ranchers.
While supporting clear labeling, Erin Reese Clayton from the Good Food Institute suggested adding “cell cultivated” to the approved label language. The Department of Agriculture opposed any changes to the bill’s wording.
There were no opponents to the measure. The bill now moves to the full House for consideration.
Story courtesy of the South Dakota Broadcasters Assocation.
Comments