ICYMI: Rounds Receives Support for Oversight of Lab-Grown “Meat” Products from HHS Secretary Kennedy

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) questioned Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on lab-grown "meat" products. Secretary Kennedy, in a hearing of the Senate Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, Education and Related Agencies, pledged to exercise HHS's oversight of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in regulating fake "meat" products.

"Throughout your first year in office, you have made 'Making America Healthy Again' and eating 'real food' a priority," said Rounds. "South Dakota farmers and ranchers work tirelessly to produce some of the safest and highest quality products in the world. I have concerns regarding lab-grown cells, or cell-cultivated products, attempting to enter the US food system posing as meat."

"Do you share my concerns with these ultra-processed, lab-grown fake meat products?" asked Rounds. "With your prioritization of real food, how is HHS, through the FDA, monitoring and evaluating the health and safety of these particular types of products?"

"I share your concern, Senator," said Kennedy. "I probably have amplified concern. We're going to exercise FDA's oversight of them. They're going to have to show us, they're going to have to get through a lot of skepticism to show that they're safe."

Watch the exchange HERE. Read a transcript of the exchange on lab-grown "meat" below.

Rounds also asked Secretary Kennedy questions on 340B and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Watch the full exchange HERE.

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Rounds: Throughout your first year in office, you have made "Making America Healthy Again" and eating "real food" a priority. South Dakota farmers and ranchers work tirelessly to produce some of the safest and highest quality products in the world. I have concerns regarding lab-grown cells, or cell-cultivated products, attempting to enter the US food system posing as meat. One example of these experiments takes pork fat cells grown in a lab and combines them with plant protein. This product is sold to consumers at the grocery store as a "meatball." My question I guess for you, is do you share my concerns with these ultra-processed, lab-grown fake meat products? With your prioritization of real food, how is HHS, through the FDA, monitoring and evaluating the health and safety of these particular types of products?

Kennedy: I share your concern, Senator. I probably have amplified concern. We're going to exercise FDA's oversight of them. They're going to have to show us, they're going to have to get through a lot of skepticism to show that they're safe.

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