Newsweek
Published Apr 01, 2024 at 10:02 AM EDT
Updated Apr 01, 2024 at 10:52 AM EDT
By Aleks Phillips
Abill that would classify as a drug certain foods with vaccine materials added to them was passed by the Tennessee Senate and now awaits Governor Bill Lee’s signature into law amid concerns about research on putting immunity boosters into lettuce.
The proposed law, HB 1894, was passed in a 23-6 Senate vote last Thursday after getting the House’s green light in a 73-22 vote in early March.
It would classify any food that “contains a vaccine or vaccine material” as a drug under Tennessee law, meaning the food would have to be labeled accordingly. The bill defines vaccine material as a substance intended to “stimulate the production of antibodies and provide immunity against disease.”