Vaccines in food? Tennessee bill would require clear labeling

The food would be required to clearly state it had a vaccine or vaccine material in it.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – A bill proposed by Tennessee lawmakers would require any food containing a vaccine to be clearly labeled.

HB 0032, sponsored by Rep. Scott Cepicky, R-Culleoka, and Sen. Joey Hensley, R-Hohenwald, adds new restrictions to the current Tennessee Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, which criminalizes adulterating or misbranding food, drugs, devices or cosmetics.

The bill would prohibit manufacturing, delivering and selling food that contains a vaccine or vaccine material unless the food labeling contains a “conspicuous notification” of the presence of the vaccine or vaccine material in the food.

“This bill defines ‘vaccine or vaccine material’ as a substance intended for use in humans to stimulate the production of antibodies and provide immunity against disease, prepared from the causative agent of a disease, its products, or a synthetic substitute, treated to act as an antigen without inducing the disease, that is authorized or approved by the United States food and drug administration,” the bill says.

The bill could be discussed at the House Agriculture Committee on Feb. 14 at 10:30 a.m.