Mississippi Law on processing

[dadof4]

I'm trying to find out about the processing laws in Mississippi, but I'm getting conflicting information. Does anybody have any insight?

 

[jaku]

No- just to tell you that getting conflicting information is pretty standard. Unlike other industries, it's tough to find anyone who's willing to tell you exactly what you need to do. I live in Michigan, which is pretty "highly regulated" beyond the federal standards. That being said, there is no official document telling you what you need to do. Even when you find an inspector, they don't necessarily know the rules- mine even told me that because I was a small operation, it wasn't really worth trying to comply and get licensed, as there aren't enough inspectors to do the large operations, let alone worry about me. Good luck.

 

[Mahonri]

I wish someone would go into business around here processing chickens.

 

[Mac in Wisco]

Here's a fact sheet that lists contacts by state:

http://sustainablepoultry.ncat.org/downloads/legalissues.pdf

 

[jaku]

Quote:
Be careful taking that as gospel though- it was written in 2001, and is dead wrong for at least one state, Michigan, where the MDA does regulate meat processing... getting them to do it is another story... (not that I'm complaining about that.)

 

[Mac in Wisco]

Here's link to your regulations: http://www.mdac.state.ms.us/n_library/agency_info/reg_laws/index_regl_subpart4_RS.html

The requirements for a processing plant are extensive. The best you can do is familiarize yourself with the requirements, try to come up with some ideas of how you can best comply with the facilities that you currently have and start talking to them. They can always approve variances to the regulations.

 

[Mac in Wisco]

Quote:
Be careful taking that as gospel though- it was written in 2001, and is dead wrong for at least one state, Michigan, where the MDA does regulate meat processing... getting them to do it is another story... (not that I'm complaining about that.)

I'm sure they regulate it, as any state does. All the fact sheet says is that they did not provide inspection services at the time it was written. Has that changed since then?

 

[jaku]

Quote:
Be careful taking that as gospel though- it was written in 2001, and is dead wrong for at least one state, Michigan, where the MDA does regulate meat processing... getting them to do it is another story... (not that I'm complaining about that.)

I'm sure they regulate it, as any state does. All the fact sheet says is that they did not provide inspection services at the time it was written. Has that changed since then?

Yes, it is done by the Michigan Dept. of Agriculture, who also has plenty of their own guidelines for processing beyond the federal standards. The inspector that came out to my house basically told me not to worry about them though, as there weren't enough inspectors to handle the huge factories, and as long as I was a small operation, I would never hear from them. He literally said it wasn't worth the money I'd have to put in to comply with their regulations. I thought that was kind of odd, but as I said, I won't complain!