WASHINGTON, D.C. – As Nebraska prepares to celebrate Beef Month, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts has introduced legislation that would label cell-cultivated and plant-based meat alternatives.
The Nebraska Republican has introduced the Fair and Accurate Ingredient Representation (FAIR) on Labels Act along with Senator John Fetterman (D-PA). The bill would require alternative protein products to to bear a label that clearly differentiates these products from meat and poultry products. The bill also prohibits the sale of mislabeled cell-cultivated protein or plant-based alternative protein products.
Companion legislation in the House is led by Representatives Mark Alford (R-MO-04), Mike Flood (R-NE-01), and Buddy Carter (R-GA-01).
“Deceptive labeling of plant-based protein products hurts American farmers and ranchers. It also degrades consumer trust,” said Senator Ricketts. “By enhancing oversight and enforcing stricter labeling regulations, we can protect Nebraska beef. The FAIR Labels Act is common-sense: Americans should know exactly what they’re putting in their grocery cart.”
It follows Nebraska’s efforts to ban so-called “fake meat”. Governor Jim Pillen and Senator Barry DeKay spearheaded an effort in 2025 that bans the manufacture, distribution and sale of lab-grown meat in Nebraska.
“This is just to keep bioreactor or petri dish meat out of our food system,” DeKay said at the time.
Pillen, a hog farmer, has expressed concern over what he described as continued attacks on traditional agriculture by “radical far-left groups,” including animal rights organizations like PETA.
Pillen is traveling this week promoting Nebraska beef in London. A spokeswoman said consumers need to know that what they are purchasing and eating is not real meat.
“The health consequences of eating cell-cultured protein are still unknown and could be unsafe. That is why Gov. Pillen led Nebraska to become one of the first states to enact a law banning the production, sale, promotion and distribution of fake meat,” said Laura Strimple, communications director for Governor Pillen.
Some Nebraskans have said the labeling debate is best handled at the federal level, something the Ricketts measure would do.
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association points out there is no current federal law to label cell-cultivated protein products.
“For far too long, lab-grown protein companies have exploited the use of terms like ‘meat’ and ‘beef’ to describe their products, creating the potential for consumer confusion through misleading marketing,” said Gene Copenhaver, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President and Virginia cattle producer.
NCBA said the FAIR Labels Act will ensure consumers can easily differentiate these products from real beef products produced by U.S. cattlemen and cattlewomen.
The FAIR Labels Act would:
- Amend the Federal Meat Inspection Act and the Poultry Products Inspection Act to ensure customers can discern between meat and poultry products and imitation meat and imitation poultry products;
- Prohibit the sale of mislabeled cell-cultivated protein or plant-based alternative protein products.
