Topic: Meat Inspection

Data from the Weston A. Price Foundation indicates that there have been zero reported cases of foodborne illness from uninspected custom-processed beef in the U.S. since 1968. This evidence supports the safety of small-scale, relational marketing between neighbors. The Prime Act aims to empower states to allow these transactions, potentially leading to the opening of thousands of neighborhood abattoirs.

Doug Lindemood describes the impact of the 2020 lockdowns on meat production, noting how industrial plants raised prices while small producers faced a bottleneck in processing. Because small butcher shops are scarce, many ranchers are booked out through late 2021, highlighting the fragility of the federally inspected meat system.