For 50 years, Donald Horn, of Fulton, has been processing meat - everything from deer, hogs and beef to sheep and goats.
Recently, Missouri became the first state in the nation to take steps to prevent misrepresentation of products as meat that are not derived from livestock or poultry. In other words, a tofu turkey cannot be labeled as "meat."
"I think it ought to be every state, not just Missouri," said Horn, who has operated Horn's Custom Butcher Shop just southwest of Fulton for a dozen years.
In 1985, Missouri first enacted the Meat Advertising Law with the intention of promoting truthful and accurate advertising. Since that year, the state has provided specific requirements on meat advertising through the Missouri Meat Advertising Law. On Aug. 28, Missouri made effective new provisions, which are intended to prevent the misrepresentation of a product as meat if it was not derived from livestock or poultry.
"Well, it's going to be good in a way," Horn added. "I don't see anything wrong with it."
The Missouri Department of Agriculture supplied the following information about the new provisions:
Products must include a prominent statement on the front of the package, immediately before or immediately after the product name, that the product is "plant-based," "veggie," "lab-grown," "lab-created" or a comparable qualifier; and
Products must include a prominent statement on the package that the product is "made from plants," "grown in a lab" or a comparable disclosure.
Horn said it won't change the way he does business.
"We just cut and process and put (package contents) on the label," he added.
The Missouri Department of Agriculture's Meat and Poultry Inspection Program will phase in the new guidelines during the next four months to give companies time to update product labels and bring packages into compliance. Referrals of violations to the Attorney General or county prosecutors will not be made until Jan. 1.
To view a full list of the Missouri Department of Agriculture's guidelines related to these provisions, visit agriculture.mo.gov.