February 26, 2019
A bill that would ban advertising of plant-based, insect-based or lab-based food as “meat” was discussed by the Agriculture Committee in a two-hour long hearing Feb. 19 that included a disagreement between two senators.
LB 594, presented by committee member Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue, had its origins in LB 14, which was presented by Blood earlier this session and withdrawn last month. The new bill would act as an amendment to the Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act.
“There are now additional consumers that will be protected and the additional organizations that are now going to be put on notice that they need to be cautious when it comes to being courteously deceitful or untruthful when they decide to package, advertise and represent their products,” Blood said.
The bill would define meat by U.S. Department of Agriculture’s standards. People would be allowed to appeal to the Attorney General’s office any product advertised as meat that they find deceptive. Appeals would be filed with the Attorney General’s Office.
