States Consider Legislation to Restrict Use of mRNA Technology in Livestock
States Consider Legislation to Restrict Use of mRNA Technology in Livestock
At least five states are considering legislation to restrict the use of mRNA technology or gene therapies in livestock, or demand full disclosure to consumers on product packaging. The states considering such bills include North Dakota, Tennessee, Arizona, Idaho, and Missouri.
North Dakota – SB2384
- Seeks to ban the use of mRNA vaccines in humans
- Introduces a penalty for anyone breaking the prohibition
Tennessee – House Bill 0099
- Amends existing law to prohibit the manufacture or sale of livestock or meat that contains mRNA “vaccine of vaccines materials” without a conspicuous label that there are such ingredients in the product
Arizona – House Bill 2762
- Requires conspicuous labeling of all aquatic, livestock, or poultry products that received mRNA vaccines
- Prohibits these products from being labeled as organic
Idaho – House Bill 154
- Makes it a misdemeanor offense for anyone who provides or administers a vaccine using mRNA technology “for use in an individual or any other mammal in this state”
Missouri – HB1169
- Requires product labeling of all livestock meat containing “potential gene therapy products”
- Requires informed consent from consumers for the use of mRNA technology in livestock
Holly Jones, a Republican in Missouri’s House of Representatives, states that lobbyists accused her of creating fear among consumers and affecting the “bottom line.” She introduced the bill in Missouri requiring the labeling of all livestock meat containing “potential gene therapy products.”.
“Everyone has a right to choose what they put in their bodies,” she said.
Jones is the main sponsor of the Missouri bill requiring product labeling of all livestock meat containing “potential gene therapy products.” The proposed ban would include all “potential gene therapy products.” According to Jones, her bill would require livestock farmers and producers in Missouri to fully display on product packaging mRNA technology used in cows, pigs, and other livestock under the rule of informed consent.
The bill would require labeling of any product created to act as a potential gene therapy or that could “otherwise possibly impact, alter, or introduce genetic material or a genetic change into the user of the product.”
The Missouri House Emerging Issues subcommittee will review an amended bill in April. Jones is a member of that committee.
“They would have to tell us if they begin using those things. As it is currently, almost all states do not,” Jones said.
She said she confirmed through multiple agricultural sources that mRNA programs for U.S. livestock are “in the works.”
“It is in the pipeline,” Jones said. “Australia is already doing that.”
It is note worthy that mRNA vaccines for beef cattle are not yet licensed for use in the United States.
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association recently stated that “there are no current mRNA vaccines licenses for use in beef cattle in the United States.”
In August 2022, mRNA vaccine research start-up Genvax Technologies received $6.5 million in grant funding through a coalition of private investors, including United Animal Health, to develop an mRNA vaccine for animals.
The proposed bills in these states are a step in the right direction to protect consumers from harmful gene therapy products and mRNA technology used in livestock. It is important for individuals to have the right to know what is in their food and to be fully informed before making decisions about what to consume. The fact that research on mRNA vaccines for animals is ongoing should raise concerns about the safety and long-term effects of such technology. It is crucial for state lawmakers to take action to ensure that consumers are fully informed and protected from potentially harmful products.
