A bipartisan bill has been introduced in the US to eliminate misleading labeling practices on alternative meat products for increased customer transparency.

According to the bill, titled Fair and Accurate Ingredient Representation on Labels Act of 2024 (FAIR Labels Act), plant-based and cell-cultured meat alternatives require labeling, identifying the products as imitation, cell-cultured, or lab-grown. The FDA and USDA will share regulatory responsibilities, with the latter responsible for checking the accuracy of product labels. The proposed legislation is led by US Congressman Mark Alford and backed by several other congressmen.

Analyst QuickTake: In 2018, Missouri became one of the first states to enact a meat labeling law that faced appeals from plant-based meat producer Tofurky. This latest bill is endorsed by several farming and livestock associations, including the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, Missouri Farm Bureau, and the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association, highlighting a severe pushback against alternative meats by traditional meat producers.