A bill that would require clear labeling of lab-grown meat and poultry products sold in Minnesota is gaining traction at the State Capitol.

Senate File 4026, authored by Sen. Rich Draheim (R-Madison Lake), would mandate that any restaurant, grocery store, or other establishment offering cell-cultured meat or poultry must prominently disclose it on menus and packaging. The bill received its first hearing in the Senate’s Agriculture, Broadband, and Rural Development Committee on Monday.

The bill aims to eliminate confusion for consumers about whether they are purchasing conventional meat from livestock or an emerging industry of lab-grown products.

“We owe it to our families to know what we are buying and the restaurants need to know what they are buying and serving to us,” Senator Draheim said during the Monday hearing. “My intent is for us to come together and figure out a way to label lab-grown or cell-cultured meat. I think it is important that we are proactive here in Minnesota. We need to get it right. I am not supporting or against any product; it is all about transparency.”

“To ensure a level playing field, we should strive for transparency across our agricultural markets,” said Hannah Bernhardt of Medicine Creek Farm and president of the Pine County Farmer’s Union, who testified in support of the bill. “Clear and informative labeling is the least we can do to provide that to customers. It is important to me, and to all livestock farmers, that we are able to differentiate farm-raised products from those manufactured in a lab.”

Don Schiefelbein of the Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association also spoke in support of the bill. “We believe we can stand fiercely and defend what is the greatest animal protein in the market,” Schiefelbein said. “We are not afraid of that. But we think it is absolutely essential that consumers know what they are buying. Common sense needs to reign once again.”

Roger Nelson of Cattle Creek Farms echoed their support. “When I heard about this bill, I said to myself, I just can’t sit and let somebody else hopefully speak on behalf of us small producers,” Nelson said. “I came here because this is an important issue to me as a small farmer.”

The Senate Agriculture, Broadband, and Rural Development Committee laid the bill over for inclusion in a larger agriculture bill later in session. If passed into law, Minnesota would join North Dakota, South Dakota, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Texas a states that have already enacted labeling requirements for cell-cultured meat.

ADDITIONAL MEDIA:Watch the hearing: https://youtu.be/q6XCTtm4sKc?t=4848