Food and Food Products

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on enforcement strictness or potential research exemptions, leaving these points uncertain.

Ban on Cell-Cultured Food Products

This bill prohibits the importation, sale, and distribution of cell-cultured food products in Tennessee.

What This Bill Does

• Prohibits anyone from selling or distributing cell-cultured food products within Tennessee.
• Requires the commissioner of agriculture to notify violators if they believe someone is breaking this law.
• Allows for a hearing process and penalties, including fines up to $1 million and revoking business permits, if violations are confirmed.
• Makes cell-cultured food products subject to forfeiture if sold or distributed in violation of the ban.

Who It Names or Affects

• People who sell or distribute cell-cultured food products
• The Tennessee Department of Agriculture

Terms To Know

cell-cultured food product

A type of food made by growing cells from animals, fish, shellfish, or big game in a controlled environment without slaughtering them.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify what happens to existing cell-cultured products already in the state.
• It is unclear how strictly this ban will be enforced and whether there are exceptions for research purposes.

Official Summary Text

NOTICE

This bill prohibits a
person
from
sel
ling
or distribut
ing
, or import
ing
for sale or distribution into this state, cell-cultured food products.

If the commissioner
of agriculture
believes that a person is violating or has violated
this prohibition
, then the commissioner must notify the person, in writing, of the violation. T
he notice must include, at a minimum
,
(i)
t
he information supporting a finding of the violation and a statement that the person has 10 days following service of the notice to submit a written request for a hearing or the commissioner's findings become fina
l; and

(ii)
a
stop sale order, if the finding becomes final or after a hearing held in accordance with
this bill.
A hearing held pursuant to
this bill
, and an appeal from a final decision after a hearing, must be held in accordance with the Uniform Admini
strative Procedures Act.

PENALTIES

If the commissioner finds that a person
has
violated
this bill
, then
this bill provides that (i) t
he person is subject to a fine of
$1
million; and

(
ii
)
t
he commissioner may revoke the person's permit for a food establ
ishment if the person, or an employee of the person's food establishment, is found to have violated
this bill
in connection with the food establishment.

In addition to
such
penalties
,
a cell-cultured food product that is imported, sold, or distributed in
violation of
this bill
is subject to forfeiture
.

RULEMAKING

This bill requires the
department of agriculture
to
promulgate rules to effectuate this
bill
.

Current Bill Text

SENATE BILL 568
By Pody

HOUSE BILL 1155
By Lynn

HB1155
002495
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39;
Title 40; Title 44; Title 47 and Title 53, relative to
cell-cultured food products.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 53, Chapter 7, Part 2, is amended by
adding the following new section:
(a) As used in this section, "cell-cultured food product":
(1) Means a food product intended for use as human food that is
produced without slaughter by growing, in a controlled environment, cells
harvested from species amenable to the Federal Meat Inspection Act (21 U.S.C.
§ 601 et seq.) or Poultry Products Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. § 451 et seq.), or
cells harvested from shellfish species or big game, game birds, or fish, as those
terms are defined in § 70-1-101; and
(2) Includes food or a food additive, as those terms are defined in § 53-1-
102, produced in the manner described in subdivision (a)(1) and used as an
ingredient or component in a food.
(b) A person shall not sell or distribute, or import for sale or distribution into this
state, cell-cultured food products.
(c)
(1)
(A) If the commissioner believes that a person is violating or has
violated subsection (b), then the commissioner must notify the person, in
writing, of the violation. The notice must include, at a minimum:

- 2 - 002495

(i) The information supporting a finding of the violation and
a statement that the person has ten (10) days following service of
the notice to submit a written request for a hearing or the
commissioner's findings become final; and
(ii) A stop sale order, if the finding becomes final in
accordance with subdivision (c)(1)(A)(i) or after a hearing held in
accordance with subdivision (c)(1)(B).
(B) A hearing held pursuant to subdivision (c)(1)(A)(i), and an
appeal from a final decision after a hearing, must be held in accordance
with the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act, compiled in title 4,
chapter 5.
(d) If the commissioner finds that a person violated subsection (b), then:
(1) The person is subject to a fine of one million dollars ($1,000,000); and
(2) The commissioner may revoke the person's permit for a food
establishment if the person, or an employee of the person's food establishment,
is found to have violated subsection (b) in connection with the food
establishment.
(e) In addition to the penalties provided under subsection (d), a cell-cultured food
product that is imported, sold, or distributed in violation of subsection (b) is subject to
forfeiture pursuant to title 40, chapter 33, part 2.
SECTION 2. The department of agriculture shall promulgate rules to effectuate this act.
The rules must be promulgated in accordance with the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act,
compiled in title 4, chapter 5.
SECTION 3. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.