Meat Industry News: Red Meat Inspection Exemption Proposal, Imported Meat Oversight & Major Texas USDA Investments
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Hosts Lacy Bates and Brittany Moore review three key meat-industry updates: a proposed on-farm processing exemption, USDA oversight of imported meat, and USDA-funded projects in Texas. They discuss the Red Meat Inspection Exemption Act (introduced Oct. 5 by Reps. Thomas Massie and Chellie Pingree), which would exempt qualifying small producers who raise, slaughter, and process animals on-farm and sell direct-to-consumer from routine federal inspection, with annual limits of 25 cattle, 60 swine, 250 sheep, or 250 goats, while still requiring compliance with adulteration, misbranding, labeling, and potential USDA food-safety handling rules. They explain how FSIS determines foreign equivalency, reinspects shipments at U.S. ports using PHIS, and refuses entry for noncompliant products. Finally, they cover USDA grants to Texas Tech.