By Leisa Boley Hellwarth Missouri was the first state to pass a truth in labeling law. And Missouri was the first state to have the constitutionality of the law challenged. On Aug. 28, 2018, Missouri Rev. Code Sec. 265.494(7) became law. This Statute prohibits the misrepresentation of a product as meat if the product does not come from harvested production livestock or poultry . Producers that violate the law could face up to one year in prison as well as a fine of $1,000, as a violation is deemed a class A misdemeanor. To date, the following states have enacted similar laws: Nebraska, Wyoming, Virginia, Montana, South Dakota; Alabama; Georgia; South Carolina; Maine; Arkansas; Mississippi; Louisiana and Oklahoma. The laws seek to prohibit companies selling alternative protein sources, such as plant-based or cell-cultured products, from advertising and marketing them as meat. The day before the Statute took effect, Plaintiffs brought a civil rights action in the U.S. District Court, W.D. Missouri, Central Division, against all 116 Prosecuting Attorneys in the state who would enforce the law. Plaintiffs allege the Statute violates the Plaintiff’s First Amendment rights and due process rights and violates the Dormant Commerce Clause. Plaintiffs sought a […]

By : Mark McDowell Tags: