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DIRECT Act Would Help Livestock Producers by Opening New Direct-to-Consumer Sales
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) has joined U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kan.) in introducing legislation to create new opportunities for online direct-to-consumer meat and poultry sales for producers, processors, and small meat markets.
The Direct Interstate Retail Exemption for Certain Transaction (DIRECT) Act (S.3099) would amend the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) and the Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA) to allow for the interstate internet sales of certain state-inspected meat and poultry, while also preserving food safety standards.
“As we look at markets now and into the future, we should explore every opportunity to help family farms and ranches succeed. The DIRECT Act does just that. It would give meat and poultry producers a safe, straightforward way to sell to consumers directly by making federal regulations work for them, not against them,” Senator Hyde-Smith said.
“The last thing our livestock producers need is more red tape,” said Senator Marshall. “Like many states, Kansas has strong meat inspection standards that already meet federal requirements. By creating a simple exemption, the DIRECT Act uplifts our ranchers by empowering them to sell their high-quality beef in innovative ways and across state lines.”
By amending the retail exemption under federal meat and poultry inspection statutes, S.3099 would allow processors and butchers or other retailers to sell normal retail quantities (300 lbs. of beef, 100 lbs. of pork, 27.5 lbs. of lamb) of state-inspected meat online to consumers across state lines. Because DIRECT Act sales are in e-commerce, sales would be traceable and could easily be recalled.
Mississippi is among 27 states with state meat and poultry inspection (MPI) programs approved of “at least equal to” standards set under the FMIA and PPIA, and subject to USDA Food Safety Inspection Service to ensure safety protocols are met. However, current law restricts the sale of meat and poultry processed at state-inspected facilities across state lines, even if state standards are “at least equal” to FMIA and PPIA standards.
To avoid jeopardizing international trade market access, the DIRECT Act would allow retail sales to consumers, minimize the risk for further processing in export, and keep intact equivalency agreements with trading partners. It would explicitly prohibit the export of MPI products and not allow custom-exempt processors to ship meat in interstate commerce.
U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) is also an original cosponsor of the DIRECT Act.
The American Farm Bureau Federation, Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation, Mississippi Cattlemen’s Association, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association endorse this legislation.
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