By Andi Anderson
Iowa's Secretary of Agriculture, Mike Naig, has praised the Iowa House of Representatives for approving House File 2257, a bill aimed at expanding small-scale poultry processing in the state. Naig's legislation aims to address the long-standing challenge faced by Iowa poultry producers, especially those selling directly to consumers, who have had to travel to neighboring states for processing services.
The legislation, along with a request to the USDA for more flexibility for states, is seen as a positive step in addressing this issue. Naig expressed appreciation for the bipartisan support in the Iowa House and is optimistic that the Iowa Senate will soon take action to send the bill to Governor Reynolds for approval.
The background of the legislation, represented by House File 2257 and Senate File 2207, highlights the cooperative agreement between the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the USDA-FSIS for meat and poultry inspections. While the Federal Meat Inspection Act allows red meat establishments to conduct both official and custom processing at the same facility, known as the Curtis Amendment, the Poultry Products Inspection Act lacks a similar provision. This has led to poultry processors having to choose between official or custom processing, without an increased food safety risk associated with allowing both activities at the same facility.
If enacted, the legislation would empower the Iowa Department's Meat and Poultry Inspection Bureau to permit state poultry processing establishments to engage in both official inspected and custom-exempt processing at the same facility. This change, according to Naig, would maintain existing food safety standards and align poultry processing with the standards already in place for red meat establishments.
House File 2257 and Senate File 2207, Secretary Naig plans to formally petition the USDA-FSIS to reconsider its interpretation of federal law. The goal is to grant states the flexibility to increase poultry processing capacity. It's important to note that the legislation would only take effect after the USDA specifically grants this additional flexibility to states.
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Categories: Iowa, Livestock, Poultry