June 22, 2026
Mr. Wied (for himself, Mr. Riley of New York, Mr. Van Orden, Ms. Tenney, Mr. Rose, Mr. Schweikert, and Mr. Tiffany) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to ensure consumer choice by requiring truthful labeling of lab-created butter, and for other purposes.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Recognizing Engineered Alternatives as Lab-Created Butter Act
or the REAL Butter Act
.
Sec. 2. Ensuring consumer choice by requiring truthful labeling of lab-created butter
Section 403 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 343) is amended by adding at the end the following:
(z)
(1)
If it is a synthesized butter product or contains such a product and its label does not bear immediately before the name of the product
lab-created butterorcontains lab-created butter, respectively.(2)
For purposes of this paragraph:
(A)
The term ‘synthesized butter product’ means a product that—
(i)
is marketed as butter, but utilizes sources of milkfat that are synthesized through non-agricultural processes; and
(ii)
fails to conform to the standard of identity for butter specified in the Act of March 4, 1923 (42 Stat. 1500).
(B)
The term butter has the meaning given such term in the Act of March 4, 1923 (42 Stat. 1500).