April 3, 2019

Arkansas now latest US state to prohibit marketing of alternative foods as meat

The state of Arkansas is the latest US state to declare a prohibition against alternative meat products being marketed as meat, if they are not obtained from livestock or poultry.

Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson signed HB 1407, titled, "To Require Truth in Labeling of Agriculture Product Are Edible by Humans," into law (Act 501) last month.

In recent times, a public debate had arose over whether some cell-cultured and plant-based food products can be labeled as meat, even though these products mimic actual meat. 

Missouri was the first US state to restrict the use of the term "meat" to apply only to products extracted from livestock or poultry. Similar laws have since been passed by Wyoming and South Dakota. Other states considering the implementation of such laws include Arizona, Nebraska, Tennessee, Colorado and Virginia.

Arkansas' new law will take effect 90 days after its 2019 session ends.

- The National Law Review