By Ethan Faverino |
Arizona Consumers will soon see clearer labeling on food products made from cultivated animal cells following the enactment of House Bill 2762, known as the “Andy Groseta Act.”
The legislation, sponsored by State Representative Quang Nguyen (R-LD1), was signed into law by Governor Katie Hobbs after receiving overwhelming bipartisan support in the Arizona Legislature, passing the House of Representatives by a vote of 52-3 and the Senate by a vote of 24-5.
The new law requires manufacturers, packagers, and retailers of food products derived from cultivated animal cells to clearly label those products as either “Cell-Cultivated” or “Cell-Cultured” on their packaging before they are sold to Arizona consumers.
The measure is named in honor of the late Andy Groseta, a prominent Arizona cattleman and agricultural leader who served as president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the Arizona Cattle Growers’ Association, and the Yavapai Cattle Growers’ Association.
Under the law, food products produced from cultivated animal cells may continue to be sold in Arizona, but consumers must be informed about how those products were made.
“Arizona consumers deserve honesty at the grocery store, and Arizona ranchers deserve a fair market,” stated Rep. Nguyen. “This law does not ban anything. It simply says that if a product is grown from cells in a lab, the package has to say so. Families should not have to sort through marketing claims to know whether they are buying food raised by farmers and ranchers or a product made another way. Clear labels protect consumers, respect Arizona agriculture, and make sure the package tells the truth.”
According to the U.S. Department of Agricultures Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), animal cell culture technology produces meat and poultry products without slaughter by growing livestock or poultry cells in a controlled environment, such as a bioreactor, before harvesting those cells for human consumption.
Federal regulators classify these products as meat and poultry food products and subject them to the same inspection and oversight requirements as conventionally produced meat and poultry.
“Andy Groseta spent his life standing up for cattlemen, rural Arizona, and honest agriculture,” added Nguyen. “This law honors that legacy by keeping the marketplace honest. If companies want to sell cell-cultured products, they can. But they should not be able to market their products as something they are not.”
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
