H.R. 5832: Requiring Ethical and Accurate Labeling of Lab-grown Meats Act

This bill, titled the Requiring Ethical and Accurate Labeling of Lab-grown Meats Act or the REAL Meats Act, aims to establish clear labeling standards for lab-grown meat and meat analogue products to ensure consumers have accurate information about what they are purchasing.

Labeling Requirements

The bill proposes amendments to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with specific requirements regarding the labeling of:

• Cell-cultured products: These are food products created by harvesting animal cells and artificially cultivating them in a lab.
• Analogue products: These consist of processed plants, insects, or fungi combined with additives to mimic the texture and flavor of meat but do not contain sufficient amounts of meat or poultry subject to inspection under federal laws.

Specific Labeling Conditions

Under the bill:

1. If a product is cell-cultured or an analogue, it must include a qualifying term or disclaimer directly before the product name. Acceptable terms include cell-cultured, lab-grown, analogue, meatless, plant-based, or similar phrases.
2. If the product name includes terms like chicken, turkey, beef, or pork, it must also state it is a cell-cultured, lab-grown, analogue, or imitation product before its name.

Definitions

The bill also provides definitions for important terms used in the labeling requirements:

• Analogue product: A food product that closely mimics meat in taste or texture but is made mainly from plant-based ingredients, insects, or fungi.
• Cell-cultured product: A product created by replicating animal cells in a controlled laboratory environment.
• Meat: Defined according to existing federal regulations, including how it is processed and inspected.
• Poultry and poultry products: Defined similarly, with specifications on what is considered poultry for inspection purposes.

Purpose

The overall intent of the bill is to promote consumer certainty regarding products made from lab-grown methods, ensuring that consumers can make informed choices about the meat and meat-like products they purchase.

Relevant Companies

• TSN: Tyson Foods, a major player in the meat industry, may be impacted by the need to adapt labels on lab-grown products.
• FDP: Fresh Del Monte Produce, as they may explore plant-based offerings that need compliance with the new labeling requirements.
• BYND: Beyond Meat, which produces plant-based meat substitutes, will need to ensure their products align with the new labeling terms to communicate accurately to consumers.