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How should cell-based meat be labeled? What 1,179 comments to USDA say about stakeholders’ priorities

May 31, 2022 from The Food Dive:

"As companies making meat from cells raise money, create prototypes and improve their technology, they are getting closer to having products to make available.

"And that leaves a question hanging in the air: What can those products be called?

"The USDA — which formally agreed in 2019 to jointly regulate products in the cell-based space with the FDA — put out a formal request for input in September. The department asked a battery of questions about how these products should be described on packaging labels, especially compared to animal derived products. Which terms work best for this type of product? Which terms would be misleading?

"The comment period was open for two months. And in that time, 1,179 comments came in.

"Eighty-seven of them came from companies, trade groups, policy groups and international entities. State agriculture departments, companies involved with cell-based meat, traditional meat producers and an array of groups connected to the food industry commented. A total of 157 individuals left comments anonymously. One U.S. senator made his opinion known.

"And while the comments offered a wide variety of viewpoints on cell-based meat, one sentiment was nearly universally shared: These new products represent something new and different, and they deserve regulators’ attention and specific labeling."

"When reviewing a few of the comments herself, Kulkarni saw a lot of differences of opinions. But she saw one thing that most commenters agreed on: Cell-based meat should be labeled in a way that differentiates it from products that come from slaughtered animals."

Food Dive tracked the comments here on May 31, 2022.