Legislation Introduced for Direct to Consumer Meat Sales

WASHINGTON, DC – Usually, whenever a consumer wants a steak or roast or any other cut of meat, they can shop at the local grocery store. In some instances, they can order online and have it shipped to them. They cannot, however, order from a facility that is licensed and approved by a state and have it shipped over state lines. That has led Rep. Dusty Johnson (SD-R) and Rep. Henry Cuellar (TX-D) to write the DIRECT Act.

If approved and signed into law, the DIRECT Act would amend the retail exemption and allow processors, butchers or other retailers to sell normal retail quantities (300 lbs. of beef, 100 lbs. of pork, or 27.5 lbs. of lamb) online to consumers across state lines.

Currently, many states such as South Dakota and Texas have State Meat and Poultry Inspection (MPI) programs approved by USDA and recognized as “at least equal to” standards set under the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) and Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA).

The DIRECT Act, an acronym for Direct Interstate Retail Exemption for Certain Transactions, creates new direct-to-consumer options for beef producers, processors, and small meat markets without compromising federal food safety standards or market access under existing trade agreements.
(SOURCE: National Cattleman’s Beef Association)