HB 163: Food service establishments; certain food products be disclosed as containing cell cultured meat and plant based meat alternatives; require

Cell cultured meat, grown from animal cells rather than raised and slaughtered animals, is not currently addressed in Georgia's food service laws. This bill adds a new section to Georgia's food service establishment laws (O.C.G.A. Article 13 of Chapter 2 of Title 26) to require disclosure when a food product contains it. The bill defines cell cultured meat as a food artificially grown from animal cell cultures that is designed to look, taste, or feel like conventional meat. It defines conventional meat products as those made from an animal's carcass that do not contain cell cultured meat. Any food service establishment serving a dish with cell cultured meat would have to clearly note that fact on menus, whether printed, electronic, or on placards advertising the item. The bill also bars establishments from labeling or advertising cell cultured meat as if it were conventional meat. All conflicting laws would be repealed.

• Adds a new Georgia Code section defining 'cell cultured meat' as food grown from animal cell cultures designed to resemble conventional meat.
• Requires food service establishments serving dishes with cell cultured meat to disclose that fact on all menus, including electronic menus, physical menus, and advertising placards.
• Prohibits any food service establishment from labeling, advertising, or representing cell cultured meat products as conventional meat.
• Defines 'conventional meat product' as food made from an animal carcass that does not contain cell cultured meat.
• Repeals any existing Georgia laws that conflict with these new requirements.

Restaurants, cafeterias, caterers, and other food service establishments in Georgia that might serve cell cultured meat products; consumers who eat at these establishments; and producers or distributors marketing cell cultured meat to restaurants.

Diners would gain a guaranteed way to know, through menu disclosures, whether a dish contains lab-grown meat rather than conventionally raised meat. Restaurants serving such products would face a new compliance requirement and could face consequences for mislabeling cell cultured meat as conventional meat.

• Section 1 adds new Code Section 26-2-378.1 to Georgia's food service establishment law (O.C.G.A. Title 26, Chapter 2, Article 13).
• Subsection (a) defines 'cell cultured meat' as a food artificially grown from animal cell cultures that shares sensory characteristics with conventional meat, and defines 'conventional meat product' and cross-references the existing definition of 'poultry' in O.C.G.A. § 26-2-410.
• Subsection (b) requires food service establishments to conspicuously disclose on all menus and advertising placards when a food product contains cell cultured meat.
• Subsection (c) prohibits labeling, advertising, or representing any cell cultured meat product as a conventional meat product.
• Section 2 repeals any existing laws in conflict with the Act.

1. 2026-02-06Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
2. 2026-02-05Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)
3. 2025-02-28Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
4. 2025-02-27House Passed/Adopted (House)
5. 2025-02-27House Third Readers (House)
6. 2025-02-12House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
7. 2025-01-30House Second Readers (House)
8. 2025-01-29House First Readers (House)

• Jordan Ridley (R, HD-022)Primary sponsor
• Jason Ridley (R, HD-006)
• Leesa Hagan (R, HD-156)
• Kasey Carpenter (R, HD-004)
• Brent Cox (R, HD-028)
• Mitchell Horner (R, HD-003)
• Jason T. Dickerson (R, SD-021)

1. PassedHouse voteFebruary 27, 2025

   161 yea, 3 nay (3 not voting, 13 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #109

• food labeling
• cell cultured meat
• restaurant regulations
• consumer disclosure