Bill
HB 4076
Michigan prohibits labeling lab-grown meat substitutes as 'meat' and requires qualifying terms (cell-cultured, lab-grown, cultivated) on labels, effective Sept 1, 2025.
Status / Key dates
- Introduced: March 7, 2025 (Rep. Jerry Neyer listed as sponsor in House documents).
- Passed House and Senate May 2025; enrolled and sent to Governor May 26, 2025.
- Signed by Governor: June 20, 2025.
- Effective date: September 1, 2025.
- Statute amended: Section 7129 of 2000 PA 92 (MCL 289.7129).
Purpose
- To prohibit labeling or identifying laboratory‑grown (cell‑cultured) meat substitutes simply as “meat,” and to require clear qualifying language on labels of such products so consumers can distinguish them from conventionally slaughtered meat.
Key provisions
- Adds a new prohibition: a person shall not label or identify a laboratory‑grown meat substitute as “meat.”
- Requires any seller of a laboratory‑grown meat substitute to include one or more of these terms on the product label:
- “Cell‑cultured”
- “Lab‑grown”
- “Cultivated”
- “Cell‑cultivated”
- Or another similar, accurate qualifying term or disclaimer intended to clearly communicate product contents to consumers.
- The amendment is incorporated into the Food Law labeling requirements (Sec. 7129), which already sets rules for product names, ingredient statements, net weight, and legibility.
Background / Rationale
- Current statutory definition of “meat” refers to edible striated muscle from animals slaughtered in compliance with law; lab‑grown products are derived from animal cells but not from slaughter. Producers have marketed cell‑cultured products as “meat,” prompting debate between traditional meat producers (and some labeling‑transparency advocates) and proponents of cultivated meat who argue qualifiers stigmatize equivalent products.
Who is affected
- Producers and sellers of cell‑cultured / lab‑grown meat products (must change labeling).
- Retailers and food service operators who sell such products (must ensure compliant labeling/placarding).
- Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development (MDARD): responsible for enforcement and compliance oversight.
- Consumers, who will receive clearer labeling about product origin/production method.
- Traditional animal agriculture stakeholders (seek protection of “meat” designation).
Fiscal and administrative impact
- MDARD would incur added program responsibilities and potentially need additional resources or staff; specific costs not estimated in the House Fiscal Agency report.
Positions recorded (committee record)
- Support reported from: Good Food Institute; Michigan Farm Bureau.
- Opposition reported from: VEGMichigan.
Notes / Implementation
- The law requires clear qualifying language but does not define enforcement penalties or a detailed enforcement mechanism in the committee materials; implementation and enforcement practices will be determined by MDARD under the amended Food Law.
- Text amends MCL 289.7129; effective statewide beginning September 1, 2025.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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