Texas plant-based meat labeling law struck down by court

Food Dive reported the development on 2026-02-05. The measure required companies to use a font for words like “meatless” or “analogue” that was as large or larger than the product name.

The report places the news in a wider commercial context. A federal judge struck down a Texas law requiring plant-based and cultivated meat companies to carry disclaimers that their products are not real meat, saying it violated the First Amendment. The judgment follows a years-long lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas claiming the law created an undue burden on plant-based food makers.

For the food sector, the practical implications extend beyond the immediate announcement. The labels had to include qualifiers like “meatless” or “lab-grown” in an equal or larger font size than the product name. In August 2023, plant-based meat company Tofurky filed the lawsuit, along with the Plant Based Foods Association, asking that the court reevaluate the measure because it violated the First Amendment.

Attention now turns to how companies, customers and regulators respond. The judge added there is no dispute that the labeling is misleading. The ruling cited a consumer survey that found potential buyers were able to identify products that didn't contain meat 96% of the time.