Rules and Regulations for
the Sale of Meat & Poultry
Products in Missouri
Andrew D. Clarke
Food Science Program
University of Missouri
Speaker’s Background


Education: B.S. & M.S. in Animal
Science, Texas Tech; Ph.D. in Animal
Science, Colorado State University
Experiences:
– Meat Lab Manager (Est 5777), TTU
– Technical Advisor, MAMP
– HACCP Coordinator, Missouri
– Extension Meats Specialist, MU
Key Question:

What are the rules and regulations to
get into direct marketing and sale of
meat or poultry in Missouri?
Answer:
Overview
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Starting a business
Identifying agencies with jurisdiction
Examining the laws and regulations
Complying with label requirements
Discussing specific scenarios
Starting a Business

Determine the type of business
– What is the product to be produced and
sold?
– Who is the intended customer?
– How should the company be organized?
– Where will the business be located?
– When should the owner comply with the
rules?
Business Basics

Secretary of State
– Starting a business

http://www.sos.mo.gov/business/corpor
ations/startBusiness.asp#entityReg
– Links to organizations helpful for starting
a business

http://www.sos.mo.gov/business/corpor
ations/links.asp
More Business Basics

University Extension
– Small business start-up kit

http://extension.missouri.edu/publication
s/DisplayPub.aspx?P=CD31
– Missouri Value-Added Center

http://valueadded.missouri.edu/
– Missouri Alternatives Center

http://agebb.missouri.edu/mac/
Identifying Agencies with
Jurisdiction for Meat and
Poultry

USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service
(FSIS)
– http://www.fsis.usda.gov/

Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA)
– http://mda.mo.gov/

Missouri Department of Health and Senior
Services (MDHSS)
– http://www.dhss.mo.gov/
Other Agencies with a
Role

USDA Agricultural Marketing Service
(AMS)
– http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
– http://www.fda.gov/Food/default.htm

Missouri Department of Natural
Resources (DNR)
– http://www.dnr.mo.gov/
What is allowable under
various types of meat
inspection?

Federal Inspection
–
–
–
–

Not for sale (NFS) product
Intrastate sales
Interstate sales
International sales
State Inspection
– NFS product
– Intrastate sales

Custom Exempt
– NFS product
Rules and Regulations that
Apply to Meat Products


Acts of Congress
Missouri Revised Statutes
Acts of Congress

Federal Meat Inspection Act
– http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Regulations_&_
Policies/FMIA/index.asp

Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921
– http://archive.gipsa.usda.gov/lawsandreg
s/law/PS_act.pdf

Humane Slaughter Act
– Part 603 paragraphs a and b of FMIA
Exemptions
Custom Exemption

9 III 303.1 (a)(2): The slaughtering by
any individual of livestock of his own
raising, and the preparation by him
and transportation in commerce of the
carcasses, parts thereof, meat and
meat food products of such livestock
exclusively for use by him and
members of his household and his
nonpaying guests and employees;
Retail Exemption

9 III 303.1 (d) (1) The requirements of the
Act and the regulations in this subchapter
for inspection of the preparation of products
do not apply to operations of types
traditionally and usually conducted at retail
stores and restaurants, when conducted at
any retail store or restaurant or similar
retail-type establishment for sale in normal
retail quantities or service of such articles to
consumers at such establishments.
Operations Accepted as
Traditional at Retail
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Cutting up, slicing, and trimming carcasses, halves,
quarters, or wholesale cuts into retail cuts such as
steaks, chops, and roasts, and freezing such cuts
Grinding and freezing products made from meat
Curing, cooking, smoking, rendering or refining of
livestock fat, or other preparation of products,
except slaughtering or the retort processing of
canned products
Breaking bulk shipments of products
Wrapping or rewrapping products.
Amenable Species for
Missouri

"Livestock", cattle, calves, sheep, swine,
ratite birds including but not limited to
ostrich and emu, aquatic products as
defined in section 277.024 RSMo, llamas,
alpaca, buffalo, elk documented as obtained
from a legal source and not from the wild,
goats, or horses, other equines, or rabbits
raised in confinement for human
consumption
Yak
Poultry Exemptions

USDA Guidance for Determining Whether a
Poultry Slaughter or Processing Operation is
Exempt from Inspection Requirements of
the Poultry Products Inspection Act
– http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/rdad/FSISNotic
es/Poultry_Slaughter_Exemption_0406.pdf
– See Figure 1 (page 5) for a flowchart to make
decisions on exemptions
Other Regulatory
Requirements
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Hazard Analysis and Critical Control
Point (HACCP) system
Sanitation Standard Operating
Procedures (SSOP)
Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)
Food Defense Plan
Carol L. Lorenzen
Associate Professor
Division of Animal Sciences
University of Missouri
Outline

Federal agencies involved with food
and meat labels

Required components of food labels

Label approval process

Voluntary meat marketing claims used
in food labels
Federal Agencies Involved
with Food and Meat Labels
Federal Trade Commission
U. S. Customs and Border Protection
When is an Approved Meat Label
Required?




Meat and poultry products distributed
in interstate commerce
Food products containing meat and
poultry distributed in interstate
commerce
Labels that appear on food packages
Point of purchase materials, if
shipped with product
Required Components of Meat
Labels
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Product name
Inspection legend and establishment
number
Handling statement
Net weight statement
Ingredients statement
Address line (Signature line)
Nutrition facts
Safe handling instructions
Principle Display Panel

Product name

Net weight

Inspection legend

Handling statement (if necessary)

Needs to cover 40% of total surface
area
Information Panel

Nutrition facts
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Ingredient statement
– In order of predominance from largest
to smallest

Address line
Nutritional Facts
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Total calories
Calories from fat
Total fat
Saturated fat
Cholesterol
Sodium
Total carbohydrate
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Dietary fiber
Sugars
Protein
Vitamin A
Vitamin C
Calcium
Iron
Other Required Label
Information

Safe handling
instructions can be
placed anywhere
on the package
Label Approval Process

Submit two copies of the label
application to USDA-FSIS
– Additional copies are needed if there are
animal production claims

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Submit a sketch of the label
Label consultants are not needed to
facilitate label approval
Labels are reviewed in the order they
are received
Types of Label Approvals

Product Label

“Temporary” Labels

Generic Labels
– Can be undertaken by the establishment
Additional Information That
Can be on Meat Labels

Special markings

Nutritional claims
– Term needs to be defined by regulations

Animal production claims
– Supporting documentation
Interaction Between
USDA-AMS and FSIS

Standards, analysis and technology branch
develops voluntary marketing claims

Audit, review and compliance branch
serves as an independent, third party
reviewer for supporting documentation
Commonly Approved
Animal Production Claims

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Raised without
added hormones
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Free range
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Free roaming
Raised without
antibiotics
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Grass fed
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Grain fed
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Corn fed
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Certified organic
Not fed animal byproducts
Unapproved Animal
Production Claims
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Antibiotic free
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Naturally grown
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Hormone free
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Drug free
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Residue free
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Chemical free
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Residue tested
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Organic
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Naturally raised
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Organically raised
Voluntary Animal
Production Marketing
Claims
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Certified Organic
Never Ever 3
Non-hormone Treated
Cattle
Grass fed
Comparison of Voluntary
Marketing Claims
Preventative
vaccines
Organic
Never Ever 3
Non-hormone
Treated Cattle
Grass Fed

*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
prior to
Coccidiostats
Hormones,
Growth
Promotants
Antibiotics
Vitamins &
Minerals


Milk Products
*


weaning
 Specified and Confirmed in USDA regulations, policies, and marketing claim standards.
 Not defined but an interpretation of USDA regulations, policies, and marketing claim
standards.
Comparison of Voluntary
Marketing Claims
Organic
Egg Products
Never Ever 3
*
*
100% Organic
Feed Required


*

Fed Only Grass or
Forage
Genetically
Engineered
Feedstuffs
Allowed
Grass Fed
*
*
Mammalian &
Avian By-products
Aquatic Byproducts
Non-hormone
Treated Cattle
*
*
*
Comparison of Voluntary
Marketing Claims
Organic
Access to
Outdoors
Including Pasture
Required

Organic
Management,
Last 1/3 of
Gestation

Never Ever 3
Non-hormone
Treated Cattle
Grass Fed

High Quality Beef
Export

Meat from Cloned
Animals Allowed
*
*
*
Meat from
Genetically
Engineered
Animals Allowed
*
*
*
What is Involved with
Developing a Voluntary
Marketing Claim?
1.
Gather information from all segments
of the supply chain. Develop a
working group from these segments
to draft a new standard.
2.
Working group proposes a suggested
approach to test and verify the
standard.
What is Involved with
Developing a Voluntary
Marketing Claim?
3.
4.
USDA writes a draft standard and
publishes it in the Federal Register
for comment.
USDA reviews comments and redrafts
(if necessary) standard for final
notice in the Federal Register. If
substantial changes are made,
another draft for comment is
published.
Status of New Voluntary
Marketing Claims
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Naturally Raised
– Final document being cleared

Tenderness Claim
– Working groups have been established
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Predictive technology
Methodologies, verification and testing
Economic implications
Consumer implications and sensory
– Data is being collected and discussed in
preparation for writing a draft standard
End of Lorenzen
Contribution
Other Labeling Topics

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Obtaining a UPC
Missouri “Organic” Regulations
COOL
Misbranding and penalties
Obtaining a UPC

The Universal Product Code is vital for
sales where scanners are employed
– http://www.gs1us.org/Home/tabid/36/De
fault.aspx

Lesson for obtaining a UPC
– http://barcodes.gs1us.org/dnn_bcec/Defa
ult.aspx?tabid=376
Missouri Organic
Regulations

Authority to develop standards and
labeling for organic agriculture
– http://www.moga.mo.gov/statutes/C200299/2610000110.HTM

Details on organic labeling accessible
from AMS
– http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/
– Search under National Organic Program
Country of Origin
Labeling

Authority for COOL in Missouri
– http://www.moga.mo.gov/statutes/C200299/2650000286.HTM

More details on COOL may be
obtained from AMS
– http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/
– Search under COOL
Misbranding Regulations

Missouri Revised Statutes regulate
– Transport and sale of misbranded,
adulterated, or unmarked meats

http://www.moga.mo.gov/statutes/C200299/2650000442.HTM
– Prohibited marketing practices

http://www.moga.mo.gov/statutes/C200299/2650000494.HTM
More Labeling
Information

The Office of Policy and Program
Development (labeling info)
– http://www.fsis.usda.gov/about/labeling_
&_consumer_protection/index.asp

Coverage on almost any topic related
to labeling meat products
Discussion of Specific
Scenarios
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Selling meat at the farm
Selling meat at farmer’s markets
Selling meat “door-to-door”
Selling meat via wholesale or retail
markets
Selling processed meats
The End