Small and independent meat processors are at significant economic risk due to new and costly requirements under a new federal regulatory proposal, according to American Farm Bureau Federation.
The draft document from the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) spells out new and costly requirements for local meat processors under the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point
(HACCP) Systems Validation proposal.
In a letter to FSIS, Farm Bureau stated that many of its members who raise livestock, “rely on small and independent meat processors” to process meat they raise for their own consumption. In addition, local meat processors offer farmers and ranchers “opportunities to create specialty and value-added products marketed through niche outlets.”
“(Local meat processing) facilities are most at risk from increased costs due to (new validation costs for) multiple species and multiple products, with a relatively low volume over which to spread those costs,” AFBF’s letter stated. “The loss of small and very small establishments would be devastating to our livestock-producing members.”
AFBF also said it has received “literally hundreds of concerns” from small, independent meat processors over the last three months pointing out the damaging economic consequences of the proposed rule. Increased compliance costs ranged from $65,000 to approximately $640,000 per year for those local plants.
Source: Ohio Farm Bureau