Bill
Bill > SB186
summary
Introduced
01/09/2026
01/09/2026
In Committee
02/25/2026
02/25/2026
Crossed Over
01/23/2026
01/23/2026
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
2026 Regular Regular Session
Bill Summary
Misbranded food; manufactured-protein food products; civil penalty. Provides that a food is misbranded if it purports to be or is represented as a meat food product or poultry product and such food product (i) bears or contains a manufactured-protein food product, as defined in the bill; (ii) is offered for sale; and (iii) has a label that is part of or placed on the food product package or other container storing such product that identifies the food as a meat food product or poultry product, unless such label bears a conspicuous and prominent qualifying term and is in close proximity to an identifying meat term, as such terms are defined in the bill. The bill exempts a meat food product that the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services determines contains a trace amount of a manufactured-protein food product, prohibits the sale or offering for sale of a food product that is misbranded pursuant to the provisions of the bill, and makes doing so a violation of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act. The bill provides that a person who violates the provisions of the bill is subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $500 and allows the Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services to adopt increased civil penalties not to exceed $500 for first, second, and subsequent violations of the bill.
AI Summary
This bill defines "manufactured-protein food product" to include items like cultivated, fungus, insect, or plant-based proteins not directly from livestock or poultry, and establishes that a food product is considered misbranded if it's presented as meat or poultry but contains such a manufactured protein, is offered for sale, and its label identifies it as meat or poultry without a clear, prominent qualifying term like "plant-based" or "imitation" placed near an "identifying meat term" (any word indicating meat or poultry). The bill exempts meat products with trace amounts of manufactured protein, prohibits the sale of misbranded products, and makes violations subject to a civil penalty of up to $500 per misbranded product, with the Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services empowered to set increasing penalties for repeat offenses, and these violations are also considered a violation of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act.
Committee Categories
Agriculture and Natural Resources
Sponsors (3)
Last Action
Passed House (97-Y 2-N 0-A) (on 03/02/2026)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB186 |
| Fiscal Note/Analysis - Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB186) | https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1096541.PDF |
| BillText | https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB186/text/SB186 |
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