SOURCE: Jacqui Fatka, FEEDSTUFFS, 3/23/21

Small meatpackers play a critical role in maintaining the U.S. food supply, as well as provide important markets for livestock producers and increase consumer access and options for locally sourced food. However, even as the COVID-19 pandemic threatened to disrupt the nation’s meat supply by causing large meatpacking facilities to pause or slow operations, U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service overtime inspection fees discouraged small meatpackers from processing livestock more than 40 hours per week.

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