U.S. Rep. Tony Wied has rolled out legislation that would establish labeling requirements for lab-made butter products to address what he calls “an attack on American farmers.” 

Wied, a Republican who represents the state’s 8th CD, recently announced details for the  Recognizing Engineered Alternatives as Lab-Created, or REAL Butter Act. 

Wied’s office says the bill would “promote transparency, protect consumer choice, and support Wisconsin dairy farmers” by ensuring consumers know what they’re buying. Under the legislation, butter products made in a lab would have to be labeled as such to distinguish them from traditional dairy products. 

“America’s dairy farmers put in the work every day to keep our families fed, our rural communities strong, and our agricultural heritage alive,” his office said in a release. “They should not have to compete with products that hide behind vague or misleading labels.” 

The announcement references an effort in Illinois to develop lab-grown butter from carbon dioxide rather than cow’s milk, noting it’s backed by Bill Gates, a frequent target of Republican criticism. 

Wied’s office says this “fake butter made from thin air” represents an assault on U.S. farmers, the dairy industry and the Trump administration itself given its support for butter’s health benefits in new dietary guidelines. 

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is calling for “evangelizing real food” in the new guidelines, pointing to whole milk and full-fat dairy products as preferred options. 

While the administration’s stance has faced criticism by health advocates for over-emphasizing the importance of protein, the issue of product labeling for dairy substitutes is getting bipartisan attention among Wisconsin’s federal lawmakers. 

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin last year helped introduce the DAIRY PRIDE Act of 2025, seeking to “crack down on the unfair practice” of labeling non-dairy products with dairy names such as milk, cheese and yogurt. 

The Madison Dem has previously said imitation products made from nuts and plants have “ridden the coattails of our dairy farmers and gotten away with using dairy’s good name” without meeting the same nutritional standards.