Of all those request, the most frequent ones I've been getting lately, besides information on organic farming and certification, is adding value, in particular to meat products. Anytime you add value to a commodity, it falls into a totally different category for regulations. And those regulations can be very confusing. Recently, I heard a presentation by Doug Holt, Food Safety Specialist, at the Agribusiness Counselors Training Session at the University of Missouri. Essentially, here is what those in attendance learned.
Regulations help to keep the truth straight for consumers.
They protect the consumer with safety issues and from fraud. This would include meat sold at the wholesale level, fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains. Meat that is sold direct from the farmer to the end consumer is not USDA regulated. USDA also regulates processed meat products that contain greater than 2 percent meat as well as all sausages. Meat that is sold direct to the end consumer or from the wholesaler on, is under FDA jurisdiction.