The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and the state of Oregon have finalized a cooperative agreement, under which the state inspection program may inspect meat products produced for shipment within the state.

Under the cooperative agreement, the state inspection program must develop, administer, and enforce requirements “at least equal to” those imposed under the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA).

“Today’s announcement with Oregon will help strengthen our nation’s food system and help prevent supply chain bottlenecks,” said USDA’s Deputy Under Secretary Sandra Eskin. “This program is especially helpful to small meat and poultry processors in building their local and state marketplaces.”

With the addition of Oregon, 28 states now have state inspection programs. In states with inspection programs, establishments have the option to apply for federal or state inspection, but product produced under state inspection is limited to intrastate commerce. FSIS provides up to 50% of the state’s operating funds, as well as training and other assistance.

States are key FSIS partners and formal working relationships are reflected in cooperative agreements between FSIS and affected state agencies. State Meat and Poultry Inspection (MPI) programs are an integral part of the nation’s food safety system with about 1,900 small and very small meat and poultry establishments inspected under state MPI programs. FSIS provides guidance to state MPI programs under these agreements, reviews each state MPI program and its requirements and activities at least annually, and provides approximately $60 million dollars annually to support the state MPI programs currently operating.

In addition to Oregon, FSIS has signed state inspection agreements with Alabama, Arizona, Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. For more information about state inspection programs, click here.

Source: USDA-FSIS