Meat processors and food safety inspectors both want the same thing: safe food. However, the relationship between the two entities can be touch-and-go at times. At the best circumstances, state or local governments and small meat plants can work together to develop successful operations that produce quality meat items. At the other end of the scale, small plants can struggle to meet changing rules and regulations and even risk going out of business due to an inability to adapt or keep up with a mountain of documentation.
The American Association of Meat Processors has been making frequent trips to Washington D.C. to meet with Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) leadership as well as key congressional representatives, on behalf of its member companies. That physical presence was one of the things lost to the COVID pandemic in 2020, but AAMP was not idle.