LINCOLN — Jim Pillen is much more than just Nebraska’s Governor.
He is also the head of the country’s 13th largest hog farm according to the Pork Powerhouses ratings.
He is a man who knows his meat and he is pushing lawmakers to take steps to make sure meat in Nebraska isn’t coming from a laboratory.
“We need to be on offense and I stand with Senator DeKay who has introduced a strong bill to “beef up” our consumer protections,” said Pillen during his State of the State address.
The bill behind the real meat campaign is LB246, which if passed would categorize lab-grown meat as an adulterated food and ban its sale in the state.
That means lab-grown meat would be grouped alongside diseased, contaminated, filthy, putrid or decomposed foods.
“We have had some concerns about this issue for a while, largely from the perspective of there are a lot of questions around how the product is made,” said Laura Field, Executive Vice President of Nebraska Cattlemen.
Nebraska Cattlemen’s Board of Directors will meet later this month to discuss LB246 but the organization hasn’t taken an official stance on the bill yet.
Their primary concern, shared by many in the agriculture industry, is making sure lab-cultured proteins aren’t sharing the same terminology and labeling as naturally produced meat products.
“We need to know what it is. If it is going to come to the market it needs to have that label on it. If it doesn’t have a label we are perfectly comfortable saying it shouldn’t be sold,” said Field.
The Nebraska Farm Bureau is also pushing for stronger labeling protections but is not supporting an outright ban of lab-grown proteins.
In a statement provided to KMTV Farm Bureau President Mark McHargue laid out the Farm Bureau's position,
"Nebraska Farm Bureau has and will always be a supporter of Nebraska’s livestock producers and traditionally produced animal protein products. American beef, pork, poultry, and other meat products remain the safest, most nutritious, and affordable protein sources in the world. While we recognize the emergence of lab-grown products in the market, we believe it is critical to prioritize transparency and consumer interests through proper labeling.Lab-cultured products should not be classified as meat, as they do not conform to the traditional and commonly accepted definitions of these terms. Lab-cultured products should also not take advantage of farmer and rancher investments in consumer research, common names, and the overall goodwill farmers and ranchers have developed with consumers over decades. Nebraska Farm Bureau does not advocate for blanket state-level bans on lab-grown products just like we adamantly oppose efforts by other states to place unscientific animal welfare restrictions on Nebraska pork and poultry producers. In short, lab-cultured products should be clearly labeled, prohibited from using common and industry developed meat protein terms, and should not be purchased or researched using state or federal taxpayer funds.
Consumer choice and individual freedom should always remain at the forefront of agriculture and food focused public policy."
Lawmakers also questioned Pillen’s focus on a total ban at a time when lawmakers will be turning their attention to balancing the budget a property tax relief.
“I think it’s perfectly appropriate to ask that we label something like that. But to spend legislative time and energy, and the State of the State speech, talking about lab grown meat when there are people out there needing help finding a place to live is, to me, kind of silly,” said Senator John Cavanaugh.
It’s important to note lab-grown meat isn’t even available on store shelves and was only approved for sale by the USDA in 2023.
Two other states, Alabama and Florida, have also passed their own bans on lab-cultured meats.
