H.R. 10744: Red Meat Inspection Exemption Act

This bill would change federal meat-inspection rules to create a limited exemption for some small-scale red meat producers and processors that sell directly to consumers.

What the bill would do

• It would amend the Federal Meat Inspection Act to allow certain meat and meat food products to be sold without federal inspection, as long as they meet the bill’s conditions.
• The exemption would apply to meat that is:
  • slaughtered and processed by the livestock producer on the producer’s own farm, and
  • sold directly to consumers, such as on the farm, at a farm stand, at a farmers market, or at another direct-to-consumer venue.
• The Secretary of Agriculture would be required to set rules and conditions for the exemption, including any special handling procedures needed to protect food safety and public health.

Requirements for meat sold under the exemption

• The product label would have to say “Exempt—21 U.S.C. 623” and include the producer’s name and address.
• The meat could not be adulterated or misbranded under existing federal definitions.

Who would qualify

The exemption would apply only to producers that stayed below certain slaughter limits in the previous calendar year:

• no more than 25 cattle, or
• no more than 60 swine, or
• no more than 250 sheep, or
• no more than 250 goats.

It would also not apply if the producer moved meat from its own farm animals in interstate commerce.

Who would not qualify

• Producers that exceeded higher volume thresholds in the prior year would not be eligible for the exemption:
  • more than 200 cattle,
  • more than 500 swine,
  • more than 2,000 sheep, or
  • more than 2,000 goats.

State laws

The bill would not block states from having their own rules. If a state already allows broader exemptions from state meat-slaughter or meat-sale requirements, those state laws would still be allowed to stand.

Relevant Companies

None found