The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the launch of the Stand-Up Program on Wednesday. This program will provide up to $50 million in funding to help states expand or start their own meat inspection programs in partnership with the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).
According to the USDA, participating states have reported that a common deterrence from initiating a state meat inspection program for states is high start-up costs. The USDA says this new program will "remove that barrier" for smaller and mid-size processors to get inspected and more ranchers have a place to process near home.
South Carolina is one of 30 states currently operating State Meat and Poultry Inspection (MPI) programs. State MPI programs must operate these programs at least equal to federal food safety standards.
FSIS allocates approximately $50 million to support states under these state inspection programs by providing up to half the operating funds to implement MPI programs. For South Carolina, the state goes through Clemson Livestock Poultry Health, which allows local plants to process and sell meat within state lines.
"The United States has one of the strongest, most interconnected food safety systems in the world, and our state inspection programs play a big role. State inspection programs share the same mission as FSIS, which is ensuring safe food for American families," said Under Secretary for Food Safety, Mindy Brashears. "When we invest in our state partners, we're not just adding processing capacity in rural America. We're doing it in a way that is practical, backed by science and data, and built to protect public health."
The announcement follows President Donald Trump's September 4 Executive Order “to promote [enhanced] market access for American ranchers." It directs the USDA to build a technical assistance program for small processors and modernize the meat inspection regulations.
“Too many states have wanted a food inspection program of their own and could not get past the start-up costs. Now they can," said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brook L. Rollins, “Food safety standards will not move, and more state programs mean more local processing, more competition for the rancher’s cattle, and more American meat on American tables.”
