PIERRE, S.D. — South Dakota lawmakers 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 the measure Thursday morning, putting House Bill 1022 just a Senate floor vote away from passage after unanimous agreement in the House sent it across the Capitol.
DANR brought the legislation in response to the U.S. Department of Agriculture recently giving approval for two types of cell-based meatless products. While it doesn’t appear those two products have been made available for sale in South Dakota, the department wants to get ahead of their commercial uses.
The department’s bill requires the labeling on products that come on packaging for consumer purchase, but it doesn’t apply to restaurants.
“These cell cultured protein products are new,” said Taya Runyan, executive director of the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association. “With this regulation in place, if and when these products are found, it is important that we can distinguish them and allow our producers to market their products as traditionally raised meat products.”
Should the measure be adopted into law, any such products would have to have a label that prominently and conspicuously displays the words “cell-cultured” or “lab grown” in a place immediately adjacent to the name of the food on the packaging.
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 that the legislation as written would not prove burdensome to impacted businesses, but that retailers have an interest in providing as much information as possible to customers about the products they are selling.
“At present, (this bill) would not relate to anything on a restaurant menu or anything like that,” said Sanderson. “We want to make sure that if there is a desire by South Dakotans to consume this, that our businesses would be able to provide that… Also, that any labeling requirements that may be there wouldn’t be exclusive to South Dakota.”
There was no opposition testimony.
Legislative proposals attempting to address problems before they exist often run into questions from skeptical lawmakers in Pierre, but in this case, senators agreed that though this issue may have to be addressed again in future sessions, a preemptive approach was best for lab meats.
“I like that we are getting out ahead of this,” said Sen. Kevin Jensen, R-Canton. “This is going to happen, and I am happy we are going to be out in front of it.”
