Sen. Angus King (I-ME) and Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) have introduced the Processing Revival and Intrastate Meat Exemption Act, or the PRIME Act. The bill, if it becomes law, would give states the option of adjusting their rules and regulations to enable increased slaughter capacity within the state, which should create market opportunities for farmers, reports the Portland Press Herald. One regulation the states could change is the option of allowing custom slaughterhouses to process carcasses for commercial sale. Currently, those facilities can process carcasses for personal use, but they are not required to have an inspector on site during process, and any meat processes is strictly meant for personal use.
In King’s state of Maine, there are five meat processors in Maine that are inspected by the USDA and eight that are inspected by the state. Those facilities do not have the capacity to meet the demand for local foods. There are 15 custom slaughterhouses in Maine.