OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (KOKH) — As Oklahoma lawmakers consider proposals regarding cultivated meat, industry experts and advocates are weighing in on the potential impact on consumers and traditional ranching.
Michael Kelsey, executive vice president of the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association, emphasized the importance of consumer awareness.
“Beef, it is truly what’s for dinner. It’s also what’s for lunch and breakfast in Oklahoma,” Kelsey said.
He referred to cultivated meat as “fake meat” and noted that his organization is actively involved in legislation to regulate its labeling.
However, Kelsey expressed confidence that ranchers would not lose business to these alternatives and stated, “We would just prefer that the consumer be aware of it. Then they can make the decision whether they choose to purchase it or not.”
Suzannah Gerber, executive director of the Association for Meat, Poultry, and Seafood Innovation, echoed the call for transparency.
“They want what we want: transparent labeling. They want what we want: for consumers to know what they’re buying. We want them to buy our products on purpose,” Gerber said.
She highlighted that cultivated meat products undergo rigorous safety tests and are already subject to federal labeling regulations.
Regarding Oklahoma’s efforts to introduce additional labeling laws, Gerber remarked, “I do see them as redundant. It is a little bit of a head-scratcher.”
Wade Brorsen, chair of agricultural economics at Oklahoma State University, noted the current lack of cultivated meat products available in Oklahoma and dismissed them as an immediate threat to the ranching industry.
“If they got everything right… it would still be ten times the cost of beef,” Brorsen said, adding, “But right now it’s way more costly than that.”
Gerber also commented on the legislative efforts to ban cultivated meat, stating, “Bans of these products really don’t represent our American values of the free market and fair competition.”
A bill banning cultivated meat in Oklahoma and another outlining labeling requirements have both passed the House and are eligible to be heard in the State Senate.
