Commissioner Beal Calls on USDA to Allow State-Inspected Meat to Cross State Lines during COVID-19 Pandemic

May 8, 2020

For more information contact: Jim Britt at: jim.britt@maine.gov

AUGUSTA- Yesterday, Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) Commissioner Amanda Beal called on the United States Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Program (USDA-FSIS) to temporarily lift restrictions preventing state-inspected meat from being sold or donated across state lines.

Temporarily waiving USDA-FSIS place of sale restrictions allows more processing and market opportunities for Maine food producers and consumers during this unprecedented crisis. USDA processing facilities in Maine are under immense pressure to meet demand and are reportedly booked out over a year in some locations.

"Allowing state-inspected meat to temporarily cross state lines will greatly support regional market expansion opportunities, smooth out bottlenecks in the local food chain, reduce the need to cull healthy livestock and poultry, and support our food-insecure during this extremely difficult time," wrote Commissioner Beal.

50% of state processing facilitates are already operating under the federal Cooperative Interstate Shipment (CIS) program, and DACF is confident that state-inspected facilities can maintain appropriate oversight as this waiver is considered.

The complete text of Commissioner Beals letter is below:

Mr. Joseph Priore Acting Regional Director USDA- FSIS 701 Market Street, Suite 4100C Philadelphia, PA 19106

Dear Mr. Priore,

In Maine and across the country, state departments of agriculture are doing everything that we can to keep the food supply chain operating smoothly. Just as importantly, we are working to ensure that the food our farmers are working hard to produce is getting into the hands of those that need it - whether a consumer at a retail store or at a local food pantry - rather than slaughtering or culling animals because of disruptions in the supply chain.

Maine signed a cooperative agreement with USDA-FSIS to join the federal Cooperative Interstate Shipment program (CIS) in August of 2018. The CIS program allows state-inspected plants within the program to label their products with a federal mark of inspection and ship their products in interstate commerce and internationally. Any state-inspected plant which hasnt yet joined the CIS program is limited to sales within its borders, even if a neighboring state is just across the highway or river.

This program has proven very successful in Maine so far, with three of our state processors (50%) participating in the program and shipping over 55,000 pounds of meat and poultry over the last 3 months bearing the Federal mark of inspection. All state-inspected facilities, CIS and non-CIS alike, adhere to the same strict federal food safety and processing regulations as do the USDA-FSIS facilities. Most importantly, we are confident that our state-inspected facilities can maintain appropriate oversight through this process because the Maine Meat and Poultry Inspection (Maine MPI) program, which oversees the state-inspected facilities, has earned and maintains same as status with USDA-FSIS.

Given the current challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, we ask that FSIS grant a temporary waiver to allow all state-inspected meat to be sold in interstate commerce or to be donated to food banks that require federally inspected products. This temporary waiver would lift usual restrictions on place of sale and allow for more processing and market opportunities for Maine food producers and consumers during this unprecedented crisis. USDA processing facilities in Maine are under immense pressure to meet demand and are reportedly booked out over a year in advance in some locations.

Allowing state-inspected meat to temporarily cross state lines will greatly support regional market expansion opportunities, smooth out bottlenecks in the local food chain, reduce the need to cull healthy livestock and poultry, and support those who are food-insecure during this extremely difficult time.

Sincerely,

Amanda Beal
Commissioner
Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry

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