Meat&Poultry -- July 2014 - 14

Washington
BY BERNARD SHIRE

meatpoultry@sosland.com

Inspections and exemptions
F

or most consumers, meat and

business without inspection.

operations conducted at restaurants

poultry inspection is something

The retailer can remain exempt

or retail stores, but meat and poultry

they know little about. The average

from federal regulations even though

products produced by these operations

customer has a vague idea that meat

it sells meat and poultry products to

are not eligible to be produced for HRI

and poultry is inspected by the gov-

the HRI segment as long as these

under the retail exemption.

ernment, but exactly how, or how of-

sales total 25 percent or less of its to-

The retail exemption allows for

ten, most people have no idea. Even

tal product sales, or the current cal-

the preparation of certain meat and

in the industry itself, folks know meat

endar-year dollar limitation set by the

poultry products for retail sale without

and poultry slaughter and wholesale

FSIS Administrator. Since the Con-

the benefit of daily federal inspection.

operations undergo inspection, but

sumer Price Index for last year showed

Of course, meat and poultry prod-

once that meat and poultry gets to re-

a price increase of 1.2 percent for meat

ucts for sale to HRI customers may

tail, inspection is largely over.

and 4.7 percent for poultry products,

be produced under federal inspection.

Yet, there are still exceptions to the

this maximum amount for continued

But processors may opt to make these

rule. One of them showed up in a re-

retail exemption is $70,400 for meat

products under the retail exemption

cent issue of the Federal Register titled,

and meat products, and $57,100 for

alongside other retail products. Pro-

"Retail Exemptions Adjusted Dollar

poultry products for this current year.

cessors also need to remember that

Limitations." The federal notice says

While retail operations must use

some restaurants and hotels may have

meat or poultry that has come through

made a business decision to buy only

USDA or "equal-to" state inspection,

federally inspected product. So, it is

there is an exemption for retail stores

important for them to communicate

whose customers are mostly household

with customers to ensure business re-

consumers, and with the restrictions

quirements are met. And processors

above, whose customers are restau-

must comply with any state or local

rants, hotels or similar institutions.

regulations, even if products are being

USDA notes its inspection require-

made under retail exemption.

"Slaughter and
wholesale operations
undergo inspection,
but once those products
get to retail, inspection
is largely over."
the US Dept. of Agriculture's Food

ments for preparation and process-

And finally, it's important to re-

Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)

ing don't apply to operations usually

member that these operations don't

is announcing dollar limitations on the

conducted at retail stores and restau-

exist without any review at all. Even

amount of meat and meat products,

rants for products that sell in normal

though there is no federal inspection,

poultry and poultry products, that a

retail quantities. According to USDA,

they are typically regulated by state

retail store can sell outside of normal

the important issue is not what the

or local regulatory authorities. And

retail consumers to hotels, restaurants

product is made of, but the operation

they are still subject to being visited

and institutions (HRI) without dis-

involved in processing the product.

by FSIS. But because of this exemp-

qualifying itself for exemption from
federal inspection requirements.

Operations usually conducted at re-

tion, the FMIA and PPIA inspection
of operations traditionally conducted

es, halves, quarters, or wholesale cuts

at retail stores, as long as the products

aimed at restaurants, cafes and hotels

into retail cuts, and grinding and freez-

produced are offered for sale in nor-

in very rural areas where big proces-

ing such products made from meat.

mal retail quantities generally sold to

sors and companies weren't typically

Curing, cooking, smoking, render-

normal household consumers. ■

interested in doing business. So, an

ing livestock fat or other preparation

exception was made allowing retailers

of products, except slaughtering or

to do a small amount of "wholesale"
*

requirements do not apply to the types

ting up, slicing and trimming carcass-

tail exemption for HRI customers was

14

tail stores and restaurants include cut-

How did this come about? The re-

the processing of canned products are

Meat&Poultry *

July 2014 *

www.MeatPoultry.com

Bernard Shire, based in Lancaster, Pa., is M&P's
Washington correspondent. He also works as a
food safety consultant.
http://www.MeatPoultry.com
Meat&Poultry -- July 2014

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