New Markets for State-Inspected Meat and Poultry Act of 2025
The New Markets for State-Inspected Meat and Poultry Act of 2025 would expand the ability to sell meat and poultry across state lines from products that are inspected by state (rather than federal) programs. It amends both the Federal Meat Inspection Act and the Poultry Products Inspection Act to allow interstate shipment of carcasses, parts, and finished meat or meat products (and similarly for poultry products) that are inspected and passed under state programs. The bill establishes a federal framework for designating which state-inspected programs may participate in interstate commerce, requires consistent federal oversight, and prevents state or local restrictions on such interstate shipments. In short, it aims to open new markets for producers who operate under state inspections by permitting their products to move beyond their own state borders.
Key Points
- 1Interstate commerce allowed for state-inspected products: The Secretary may authorize interstate shipment of meat, meat food products, and poultry products that were inspected and passed under a state meat or state poultry inspection program, respectively. States may not prohibit these interstate shipments once approved.
- 2Federal oversight and designation: The bill creates a process for designating certain states whose inspection programs may participate in interstate commerce. The Secretary would designate, publish, and potentially revoke such designations, with rules governing designation and revocation.
- 3Program scope and wording updates: The acts' sections are reworded and renamed (e.g., “SALE OF INSPECTED MEAT AND MEAT FOOD PRODUCTS” and “SALE OF INSPECTED POULTRY PRODUCTS”) to reflect the interstate-sales framework, while maintaining enforcement of federal requirements and adulteration provisions.
- 4Cooperation between federal and state agencies: The amendments emphasize cooperation between theSecretary and state agencies, aligning state programs with federal requirements when interstate commerce is involved.
- 5Consumer and safety safeguards: The changes retain the concept that products must be inspected and passed under the act, with explicit allowances for interstate movement while preserving the authority to enforce adulteration and other federal standards.