Hi all,
I'd like to make you aware of an issue that small meat processors and slaughterhouses like [us] are dealing with right now that could have long-lasting and detrimental impacts on farmers and anyone who is involved in this ever-growing sustainable food movement.
On march 19th, the USDA responded to a letter that meat industry associations had sent 6 months prior, looking for clearer interpretation of certain regulations about validation of their HACCP systems (Each plant is required to have a HACCP plan in place to maintain pathogens like e coli, regulate safe handling of animals, and regulate safe, germ-free processing).
The response from the USDA to the meat associations, sent by Alfred Almanza, the administrator of the Food Safety and Inspection Service, was astounding. It outlines proposed regulations that would cost small meat plants hundreds of thousands of dollars annually!
The proposed regulations would require every meat plant (no matter how big or small), to perform their own testing of carcasses, products, and machinery at every point of processing by collecting samples and then sending them to a lab. The data collected in these tests would be further documentation of pathogen control in the plant. Currently, smaller plants (who do not have the capabilities to perform these tests) are able to use previously collected data and apply it to their own methods. This has proved a safe and reliable method of controlling pathogens thus far.
Based on the figures presented in that document and the number of different products that [our plant] currently offers, (bacon, hot dogs, sausages, bologna, etc. in addition to our handling of raw meat cuts) the proposed regulations would have an additional cost to us and other small meat plants of over $500,000.00 with an additional $180,000 per year after that!
The proposed regulation would not only affect us, but would have direct implications for farmers with whom we do business. As a result of the added cost to us, we would have to raise our processing costs by $.50-$1.00 a pound! As the proposed guidance document is currently being interpreted, this is a very real issue with very real implications for us as a processor and you as livestock producers and interested stakeholders. By increasing the demands for pathogen control, the USDA is only making it more difficult for small, local slaughter facilities to exist.
Below is an excerpt from Capitol Line-Up, a newsletter put out by the American Association of Meat Processors (AAMP), from April 1, 2010:
This initiative has the capability of removing a majority of the remaining very small and small meat industry establishments from inspection. It will hinder commerce. It will stifle the meat industry by removing the variety of products currently available. It will obstruct the production of any new products from being produced and be commercially available in commerce. It will raise the cost of the products being produced, thus the overall cost the consumers will pay. It will cause establishments to cut jobs as they downsize due to the lack of inspected meat product production. It will force more of the meat industry to put more products out of the current reach of inspection an into retail exemption.
-Jay B. Wenther, Ph.D
President
American Association of Meat Processors
Hopefully, Cornucopia Institute will follow this issue and I'll be able to follow up and tell you what ultimately happens.
