---
title: HB 163. Food service establishments; certain food products be disclosed as containing cell cultured meat and plant based meat alternatives; require
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb163
cite_as: HB 163, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb163
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb163.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb163/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69601
date: 2026-02-06
status: engrossed
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 583
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb163.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 163
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2025-02-27
last_action: Senate Read Second Time
sponsors:
- Jordan Ridley
- Jason Ridley
- Leesa Hagan
- Kasey Carpenter
- Brent Cox
- Mitchell Horner
- Jason T. Dickerson
text_version: Comm Sub
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB163/2025
upstream_id: 1945151
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- food labeling
- cell cultured meat
- restaurant regulations
- consumer disclosure
---
# HB 163. Food service establishments; certain food products be disclosed as containing cell cultured meat and plant based meat alternatives; require
## Text
The Senate Committee on Agriculture and Consumer Affairs offered the following
substitute to HB 163:
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Article 13 of Chapter 2 of Title 26 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to food service establishments, so as to require that certain food products be
disclosed as containing cell cultured meat; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting
laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Article 13 of Chapter 2 of Title 26 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
food service establishments, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:
"26-2-378.1.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term:
(1) 'Cell cultured meat' means any food product that is:
(A) Artificially grown from cell cultures of animal muscle or organ tissues; and
(B) Designed to share sensory characteristics with conventional meat products.
(2) 'Conventional meat product' means any food product that:
(A) Is made wholly or in part from the carcass of any animal, including, but not limited
to, cattle, swine, sheep, goats, fish, shellfish, and poultry; and
(B) Does not contain cell cultured meat.
(3) 'Poultry' shall have the same meaning as provided in Code Section 26-2-410.
(b) All food service establishments in the state that serve food products containing cell
cultured meat shall conspicuously display on their menus, including, but not limited to,
electronic menus, physical menus, and placard displays, advertising such product,
disclosures stating that such food products contain cell cultured meat.
(c) No food product containing cell cultured meat shall be labeled, advertised, or otherwise
represented by any food service establishment as constituting conventional meat products."
SECTION 2.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.
## Summaries written by Georgia Commons
The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary.
A Georgia House bill would require restaurants and other food service establishments to disclose on their menus when a dish contains cell cultured meat, and bar them from labeling it as conventional meat.
### Plain-language summary
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.
### What it does
- 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.
### Who it affects
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.
### Why it matters
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.
### Key provisions
- 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. ยง 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.
## Status
- Status: Engrossed (2025-02-27)
- Last action: Senate Read Second Time (2026-02-06)
- Sponsors: Jordan Ridley, Jason Ridley, Leesa Hagan, Kasey Carpenter, Brent Cox, Mitchell Horner, Jason T. Dickerson
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69601
> The history, votes, and amendments (583 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb163.md?full=1