USDA focus on mobile slaughter units
Washington Ag Today January 28, 2010 Washington state had the first USDA approved mobile large animal slaughter unit in the U.S. Federally inspected mobile slaughter units provide a feasible option for small livestock producers wanting to provide safe, wholesome meat product to local consumer markets. According to USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan there are only six USDA approved red meat mobile units in the whole country but she believes such units represent a great growth opportunity. That’s why USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service recently held some webinars on mobile slaughter units. Merrigan: “We had hundreds of people participate from around the country and those eventually will be put on FSIS’s web site.” Merrigan says USDA needs to demystify the rules on mobile slaughter units and the funding for them available from USDA. Merrigan: “One of the things I heard when I first came in as deputy from a number of people is that the rules around mobile units are a gray area. We don‘t know. We are scared if we do this. We don‘t want to get in trouble. We want of course, high food safety. We want to do everything by the book, but there is no book. And so FSIS heard that concern and they are in the process of putting the finishing touches on a new compliance manual that is specifically designed for mobile slaughter units.” Merrigan says that book should be out in the next couple of weeks. I’m Bob Hoff and that’s Washington Ag Today on the Northwest Ag Information Network. ? ? ?
