Congressman Flood Co-Leads Bipartisan, Bicameral Effort to Establish Transparent Labeling of Fake Meat

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Yesterday, U.S. Congressman Mike Flood (NE-01) joined Congressmen Mark Alford (MO-04) and Buddy Carter (GA-01) along with Senators Pete Ricketts (R-NE) and John Fetterman (D-PA) in introducing the "Fair and Accurate Ingredient Representation on Labels Act," also known as the "FAIR Labels Act." The bill formalizes the labeling of plant-based and cell-cultivated (lab-grown) protein products so consumers can have accurate information when making purchasing decisions.

"Nebraska is the Beef State and raising livestock has long been part of Nebraska's identity," said Congressman Flood (NE-01). "Families deserve to know exactly what they are putting on their tables, not to be confused by deceptive labeling and marketing tricks. Meanwhile, our farmers and ranchers continue to be undercut by the fake meat industry's labeling. Thank you to Congressman Alford for his leadership in introducing this commonsense bill, which will finally bring about honest labeling of fake meat products and better inform consumers when making choices at the grocery store."

"American families deserve to know exactly what they're eating," said Congressman Alford (MO-04). "Real meat from hardworking ranchers should be clearly labeled, not hidden behind misleading plant-based or lab-grown alternatives. Our farmers and ranchers work from dawn to dusk raising nutritious meat. They deserve a fair playing field. That's why I'm proud to introduce the FAIR Labels Act of 2026. Missouri led the nation on honest labeling. Now we're taking that fight to Washington."

"The FAIR Labels Act ensures that Americans know what they are purchasing and feeding to themselves and their families. This is about transparency and consistency," said Congressman Buddy Carter (GA-01). "Plant-based and lab-grown meat needs to be clearly labeled so consumers can make informed decisions at the grocery store."

"Deceptive labeling of plant-based protein products hurts American farmers and ranchers. It also degrades consumer trust," said Senator Ricketts (R-NE). "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."

"The hardworking farmers in Pennsylvania and across our country that feed all of us with real ingredients have to unfairly compete with misleading labels of alternative meats," said Senator Fetterman (D-PA). "Folks can be in the pro-bio slop caucus, but I'm in the pro-ribeye one. I'm proud to support the FAIR Labels Act to protect our farmers and all consumers who buy their great products."

The "Fair Labels Act" establishes definitions for "Cell-Cultivated" and "Plant-Based Alternative" protein products, with oversight and inspection standards being conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration. The labels themselves will have a clear disclaimer if the product does not contain meat or poultry, along with terms like "cell-cultivated," "plant-based," or other similar descriptors being used.

Full text of the bill can be found here.