HB 322

Misbranded food; manufactured-protein food products; civil penalty. Provides that a food is misbranded if it purports to be or is represented as a meat food product or poultry product and such food product (i) bears or contains a manufactured-protein food product, as defined in the bill; (ii) is offered for sale; and (iii) has a label that is part of or placed on the food product package or other container storing such product that identifies the food as a meat food product or poultry product, unless such label bears a conspicuous and prominent qualifying term and is in close proximity to an identifying meat term, as such terms are defined in the bill. The bill exempts a meat food product that the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services determines contains a trace amount of a manufactured-protein food product, prohibits the sale or offering for sale of a food product that is misbranded pursuant to the provisions of the bill, and makes doing so a violation of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act. The bill provides that a person who violates the provisions of the bill is subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $500 and allows the Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services to adopt increased civil penalties not to exceed $500 for first, second, and subsequent violations of the bill.