South Dakota Senate kills cell-cultured protein ban
After the South Dakota House approved HB 1109, the Senate Ag Committee passed it on to the Senate floor with a 4-3 vote.
In a 17-17 vote, a “do pass” motion in the Senate died, and a motion to reconsider failed in a 16-19 vote.
In Senate Ag Committee testimony Corey Halverson, Whitewood; Justin Tupper, St. Onge; Jeremiah Murphy, South Dakota Stockgrowers Association, Rapid City; Rep. Jana Hunt, Dupree; William Coggin, Berman and Company, Arlington offered their support.
A 10-year sunset clause included in the legislation would have allowed the state to gather more data and decide in the future whether or not to approve the sale of the meat substitute.
Bill proponents said they were concerned about hasty FDA approval of the relatively new product.
The bill sponsor said only four countries – the United States, Israel, Hong Kong and Singapore have approved the sale of cell-cultured protein.
Will Coggin, research director for the Center for Environment and Welfare, speaking in favor of the bill, explained that the FDA’s approval for the production of lab-grown chicken was given after reviewing the production company’s own report, not an independent review of the product.
Most bill proponents spoke of their concern about the safety and limited USDA and/or FDA testing, along with the fact that the cells used to create the product replicate very rapidly.
Opponent testimony came from Taya Runyan, South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association, Pierre; Cheyenne Tant, Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources; Hunter Roberts, Secretary, Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources; Matthew M. Bogue, South Dakota Farm Bureau Federation, Huron; Nathan Sanderson, South Dakota Retailers Association, Pierre; Tamar Lieberman, The Good Food Institute, Washington.
Opponents said that the state shouldn’t usurp USDA or FDA’s approval of food items. They also said that South Dakota consumers should have the right to choose to eat cell-cultured protein.
In a 17-17 vote, a “do pass” motion in the Senate died, and a motion to reconsider failed in a 16-19 vote.
Earlier this session, the House and Senate approved and the Governor signed a bill to require proper labeling of cell-cultured protein in the state, but this rule does not extend to menu items or processed goods.
