Mississippi outlaws lab-grown dairy products

• Governor Tate Reeves (R) allowed HB 1153 to become law without his signature after the measure cruised through the Mississippi Legislature with only a handful of votes against the bill.

Mississippi became the first State in the U.S. to outlaw lab-grown, or “cell cultured dairy” this week.

Governor Tate Reeves (R) allowed HB 1153 to become law without his signature after the measure cruised through the Mississippi Legislature with only a handful of votes against the bill.

Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson celebrated the legislation earlier in the week while hosting a cow milking competition on National Ag Day on the grounds of the Mississippi State Capitol with lawmakers participating in the event.

“We are celebrating REAL milk for real people!” Gipson exclaimed.

The legislation, originally authored by State Rep. Bill Pigott (R), defines “cell-cultured dairy product” as a product that is intended to replicate or to substitute for milk and that is derived from animal cells cultured outside of a live animal. This includes products produced through the growth of mammary or other animal cells in vitro.

HB 1153 also aims to ensure meat or protein products are not misbranded, updated the related legal terms to be used when defining cultivated-protein food products, insect-protein food products, manufactured-protein food products, meat products, plant-protein food products, and other associated terms. The measure states that a food product is not misbranded if the label contains a conspicuous and prominent qualifying term in close proximity to an identifying meat term.

A food processing plant, retail or food establishment violating the misbranding or selling any cell-cultured dairy product would be subject to a civil penalty of not more than $500 per day for all violations with total penalties not to exceed $10,000.