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Primary Sponsor

Last Action

Re-ref Com On Agriculture and Environment2025-04-08

Vote Breakdown

No floor votes recorded.

Plain Language Summary

This bill requires clear labeling of manufactured-protein food products—including cell-cultured meat and insect-based proteins—sold in North Carolina. Products using meat or poultry terminology must display qualifying terms like 'cell-cultured,' 'lab-grown,' or 'insect-based' prominently on packaging and restaurant menus to distinguish them from traditional animal-derived meat and poultry.

Arguments in Favor

• •Supporters argue this bill protects consumers by ensuring transparency about what they're purchasing and eating.
• •They contend that clear labeling prevents potential deception, allows informed consumer choice, and protects traditional meat producers from unfair market competition by requiring alternative proteins to be clearly distinguished.
• •Proponents believe consumers have a right to know if products are lab-grown or insect-based rather than conventionally produced.

Arguments Against

• •Opponents worry the labeling requirements create unnecessary barriers for emerging alternative protein industries that could help address food security and sustainability challenges.
• •They argue the bill's strict labeling rules may unfairly stigmatize new food technologies by forcing prominent disclosure language that emphasizes unfamiliarity rather than safety or nutritional benefits.
• •Critics also question whether the requirements go beyond federal food labeling standards and create compliance burdens on manufacturers and restaurants.