Typically meat plants are exempt from FDA regulations; however, under certain conditions some meat plants will need to comply with parts of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). FDA defines a small meat plant as a facility with fewer than 500 employees. FSMA is the most sweeping reform of FDA food safety laws in more than 70 years. It was signed into law on January 4, 2011. FSMA has many parts and the new rules include:
Small meat processors who sell wholesale can be regulated by either their state Department of Agriculture (in participating states), or by the USDA:FSIS. FSIS inspected plants can ship across state lines, while state-inspected meat can only be sold within the state where it was inspected.