Some Michigan lawmakers are backing a bill to ban labeling lab-grown substitutes as “meat” and require more clear ingredient disclosure. They say it would promote transparency for shoppers and fair competition for farmers.

Supporters of the legislation say clear labeling protects consumer trust, sustains demand, and prevents misleading marketing. State Representative Jerry Nyer, a Republican from Shepherd who chairs the House Agriculture Committee, introduced the bill. He emphasizes its significance to the meat industry.

“This is no means a typical process of growing a meat product,” Nyer said. “When you buy a pork chop, or you buy a steak, it’s just one ingredient. It’s meat. When you look at lab-grown meat there, there’s a whole litany of material that’s used to produce that.”

Though regulators approved lab-grown chicken nearly two years ago, it has yet to reach grocery stores. Nyer urges Michigan to implement transparency measures before then.

Critics of the legislation argue it could hinder food innovation, create unnecessary regulations and limit consumer choice for alternative types of protein.

Nyer expects a hearing on the bill in about a month in the House Agriculture Committee.