Meat Labeling Bill Amended To Restrict Snap Purchases Of Egg Substitutes

The Iowa House passed a bill Wednesday that would prohibit imitation meat products from being misleadingly labeled as meat — with an amendment prohibiting people from purchasing egg substitutes through food assistance programs.

Senate File 2391, approved by a 60-34 vote, establishes fines for businesses that create non-meat products and label them with terms used for butchered meat, if the labels do not also include terms like “fake” or “vegetarian” specifying that they are not traditional meat products.

The bill, largely targeting substitute meat products that are made from insects, lab-grown meat and plants, was approved unanimously by the Senate, but was met with strong resistance during House floor debate Wednesday.

Democrats’ opposition to the bill was not over the labeling of products, lawmakers said, but with a House amendment adding restrictions related to eggs and egg substitutes. In addition to adding labeling requirements and establishing fines for misbranding of “fabricated egg products” as eggs, the amendment also created purchasing restrictions on such products. Iowans could not use food benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) to purchase egg substitutes.

If egg substitutes are approved as purchasable foods through SNAP or WIC, the legislation would direct the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services to seek a waiver or exemption from having these products be eligible for purchase through the programs in Iowa.

Rep. Monica Kurth, D-Davenport, said the amended legislation would take away the rights of people on SNAP and WIC to buy foods that they are currently able to purchase through the program — many of whom, she said, use egg substitutes due to allergies or other health concerns. She said egg allergies among children are “not uncommon,” and that egg substitutes are often the only available means to replace them.

“Perhaps USDA will turn down the waiver request and things will be different, but it’s just bad legislation,” Kurth said.

The bill’s floor manager Rep. Heather Hora, R-Washington, said the amendment came as the bill was meant to protect Iowa’s livestock producers, and that House lawmakers “felt it would be important to protect Iowa’s egg producers as well.”

“Eggs are one of nature’s most perfect foods, imitation products cannot compete with the unmatched protein and nutrients found in eggs,” Hora said. “Iowa leads the nation in egg production, producing more than the second- and third-largest states combined. This amendment will help protect Iowa’s egg producers and the quality of their products.”

When asked by Rep. Chuck Isenhart, D-Dubuque, if the amendment would make it more difficult for Iowans on food assistance to access egg substitutes, Hora simply answered, “Yes.”

Rep. Ako Abdul-Samad, D-Des Moines, said he believed proper food labeling was “imperative,” but he could not support a measure that would specifically restrict people in need of food assistance from purchasing products they need based on medical or dietary restrictions.

“Let’s protect our people that need help,” Abdul-Samad said. “Let’s protect the babies that can’t eat eggs. Let’s not make it hard on our people. Why are we making it hard on people that we’re trying to help in Iowa?”

In her closing comments, Hora said she understands the concerns about food access, but that the SNAP and WIC restrictions are related to labeling these products as related to eggs.

“I just want to say that I agree that no child should have to not be able to eat something, if they’re allergic to eggs,” she said. “What we are saying is they are not an egg. They’re not fabricated ‘egg’ products, call them something else. They are not eggs. That is what this bill is about.”

The bill goes back to the Senate for consideration of the amendment.

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