The House of Representatives approved legislation Monday morning which would require food manufacturers to clearly label if an item as an imitation product. SB152 by Senate Agriculture Chairman Francis Thompson, D-Delhi, also known as the Truth in Labeling of Agricultural Products Act, establishes new guidelines for grocery commodities along with enforcement mechanisms and penalties.
While the measure is designed to protect farmers, says Rep. John Stefanski, R-Crowley, who guided the bill through the lower chamber, lawmakers also want to prevent a complete mischaracterization of foodstuffs that would keep consumers from understanding what they are eating.
“Some of the stuff that they are doing, things in Europe, growing meat from cell cultures, is disturbing,” he said. “I think people understand that it shouldn’t be allowed to be called beef.”
The products protected by the legislation include rice, beef, pork, poultry, crawfish, shrimp and sugar. Stefanski argued that the labeling bill would also keep the imitation items from benefiting from the agriculture industry’s promotional efforts. “We’ve spent millions and millions of dollars to market these products,” he said. “The farmers have done this for years and it’s not fair when we allow others to piggyback off of that.”
The bill also empowers Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain to hire employees to enforce the guidelines. A manufacturer can be fined up to $500 for each violation. The instrument also mandates that the financial penalty be assessed daily. “There is no liability with the grocery. It is with the person that affixes the label,” Stefanski noted.
The full House advanced the bill on a 58-29 vote. It will return to the Senate for approval of technical amendments added by Stefanski before it heads to Gov. John Bel Edwards’ desk for executive signature.
Jeremy Alford will publish Capitol Views each afternoon on Daily Report PM through the end of the legislative session. The report is also available to subscribers at LaPolitics.com.
