Bill > HB1153

This bill amends Mississippi law to clarify regulations surrounding the labeling and sale of food products, particularly those that mimic meat or dairy. It explicitly defines terms like "cell-cultured dairy product" (products intended to replicate dairy but derived from animal cells grown outside a live animal), "cultivated-protein food product" (products resembling meat but made from cells grown in a lab), "insect-protein food product," and "plant-protein food product." A key provision prohibits the manufacture, sale, or offer for sale of "cell-cultured dairy products" within Mississippi. The bill also strengthens rules against misbranding, which occurs when a food product uses identifying meat terms (like "beef" or "pork") without proper qualifying disclosures (such as "plant-based" or "lab-grown"). The Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce's authority to inspect, enforce, and issue stop-sale or embargo orders is clarified and enhanced, with revised penalties for violations, including daily fines and a cap on total penalties. Furthermore, state agencies, public schools, and higher learning institutions are required to adopt policies preventing the purchase of misbranded or cultivated-protein food products, and retailers, distributors, and food service establishments must clearly inform consumers about the authenticity of meat and non-meat products at the point of sale. The bill also mandates record-keeping and audit trail requirements to ensure compliance and repeals a previous provision regarding the suspension or revocation of licenses by the department.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2026/pdf/history/HB/HB1153.xml