Sen. Marshall introduces act to help small meat processors

KANSAS (KSNT) - Kansas Senator Roger Marshall has reintroduced the Direct Interstate Retail Exemption (DIRECT) Act in Congress, which is designed to expand market opportunities for small meat processors and give customers more opportunities to buy locally produced meat.

Co-sponsored by Senator Tommy Tuberville (R - AL) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R - MS), this act would authorize state-inspected meat processors to sell their products across state lines directly to consumers, according to the Kansas Livestock Association. It would also allow producers to market their products online while maintaining full compliance with safety regulations, bolstering e-commerce sales for local processors.

“The last thing our livestock producers need is more red tape, Marshall said in a press release on Nov. 5. “Like many states, Kansas has strong meat inspection standards that already meet federal requirements. By creating a simple exemption, the DIRECT Act uplifts our ranchers by empowering them to sell their high-quality beef in innovative ways and across state lines.”

Currently, Kansas, and other states, have state Meat and Poultry Inspection (MPI) programs requiring food safety plans and an inspector to be on-site. The DIRECT Act would:

• Amend the retail exemption under the Federal Meat Inspection Act and Poultry Products Inspection Act to allow processors, butchers, or other retailers to sell normal retail quantities (300 lbs. of beef, 100 lbs. of pork, 27.5 lbs. of lamb) of MPI State Inspected Meat online to consumers across state lines. 
• Allow new direct-to-consumer options for producers, processors and small meat markets.
• Allows retail sales to consumers, minimizing the risk for further processing in export, keeping our equivalency agreements with trading partners intact.
• Allow states operating under the Cooperative Interstate Shipment system to ship and label as they are currently.
• Prohibit the export of the MPI product.
• Prohibit custom exempt processors to ship meat in interstate commerce.

The act reflects a growing support for direct-to-consumer marketing, particularly regarding online shopping. Passage of the act would help local meat processors expand their markets without regulatory barriers.

The Kansas Livestock Association expresses strong support for the legislation.

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