(Radio Iowa) – The governor will soon have an opportunity to put her signature on a bill that requires egg substitutes as well as plant-based or lab-grown meat sold in Iowa to be clearly labeled. Republican Senator Dawn Driscoll of Williamsburg says it started out in the Senate as a meat integrity bill, but now the proposed penalties for misleading labels would apply to products that resemble eggs, too.

“We gave a great bill to the House,” Driscoll said, “and now they have famously applied their special seasoning to this bill.” Driscoll is promising that next year she’ll help address some of the concerns raised about that addition, but 13 Senate Democrats voted against the bill. Senator Janet Petersen of Des Moines says once the governor signs the bill — public schools, the state universities and community colleges will not be able to buy egg substitutes for the food served in lunch rooms and cafeterias.

“It’s more government interference with our schools,” Petersen says. Liquid egg substitutes can be chepaer if prices for eggs climb due to supply chain issues — and experts say about two percent of children are allergic to eggs. If the bill becomes law, Iowans who receive government food assistance could be barred from buying egg substitutes — if the U-S-D-A approves a waiver for the state.