South Carolina

New South Carolina law bans lab grown protein from advertising as meat

An Original Impossible Burger, left, and a Cali Burger, from Umami Burger, are shown in this photo in New York, Friday, May 3, 2019. A new era of meat alternatives is here, with Beyond Meat becoming the first vegan meat company to go public and Impossible Burger popping up on menus around the country. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina has passed a new law that keeps protein grown in a laboratory from stem cells as advertising as "meat."

Primary sponsor Republican Rep. Randy Ligon of Chester says he didn't want people to confuse lab-grown protein with the real thing.

[RELATED COVERAGE: Meatsplainer: How new plant-based burgers compare to beef]

The lawmaker and member of the South Carolina Cattlemen's Association told The Post and Courier of Charleston he doesn't want to stop research into the alternative food, but he does want to make sure consumers understand what they are getting.

The bill passed both the House and Senate unanimously and Gov. Henry McMaster signed it into law last month.

Lab-grown meat hasn't made it into stores yet, but federal agencies have announced how they will regulate the industry.

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Information from: The Post and Courier, http://www.postandcourier.com

Associated Press

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