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In North Carolina, meat processors generally fall into three main categories based on their inspection and regulatory status: federally inspected (under the Talmadge-Aiken or TA cooperative program), state inspected, and custom exempt. These distinctions determine what the processors can do with the meat (e.g., sell interstate, sell intrastate, or process for personal use only). Regulations ensure food safety, humane handling, and proper labeling, with state standards required to be "at least equal to" federal ones. The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS) Meat and Poultry Inspection Division (MPID) administers the state program, which operates in "equal to" status with the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). All poultry slaughter is federally inspected by USDA FSIS, while red meat (e.g., cattle, swine, sheep, goats) slaughter and processing, as well as poultry processing, can fall under state or TA inspection. North Carolina does not participate in the USDA's Cooperative Interstate Shipment (CIS) program, so state-inspected products cannot be shipped out of state. Below is a summary of each type, including their key features and regulatory oversight.
These facilities are inspected under the Talmadge-Aiken Act cooperative agreement, where state inspectors from the NCDA&CS MPID enforce federal standards on behalf of USDA FSIS. They undergo rigorous daily inspections during operations to verify compliance with federal standards for slaughter, processing, sanitation, and humane handling. Products from these processors receive a round USDA inspection mark and can be sold and shipped across state lines (interstate commerce), including to other states or through mail order. This is suitable for operations targeting national markets. North Carolina facilities seeking TA inspection apply through the MPID, which coordinates with USDA FSIS. All poultry slaughter falls under federal inspection.
Operated under the North Carolina Meat and Poultry Inspection Program, these facilities are licensed and inspected by the NCDA&CS MPID. Inspections occur regularly (often daily for slaughter operations) to ensure standards match or exceed federal requirements, including sanitation protocols and humane handling. Products bear a North Carolina-specific inspection mark (rhomboid-shaped) and can be sold wholesale or retail within North Carolina only (intrastate), such as to grocery stores, restaurants, or directly to consumers. They cannot be shipped out of state, as North Carolina does not participate in the CIS program. This type supports local businesses focused on in-state markets. Poultry processing (but not slaughter) can be state inspected.
These facilities process meat exclusively for the animal owner's personal or household use (including non-paying guests and employees), not for commercial sale. They require a permit from the NCDA&CS MPID but are exempt from routine inspections for wholesomeness (though sanitation inspections occur at least annually, based on history, and facilities must comply with basic standards like humane handling). Products are marked "Not for Sale" and returned to the owner; selling them is illegal. This is common for farmers, hunters, or individuals processing their own livestock, including wild game (e.g., deer, bear), though facilities processing exclusively wild game are not regulated. State-inspected or TA facilities may also perform custom processing if kept separate from inspected products.
For starting or operating a facility, consult the NCDA&CS MPID for specific applications, including Grants of Inspection (temporary 90-day conditional for state or TA) and site visits. Contact them at (919) 707-3180 or via the website. A plant finder tool is available at https://www.ncmhtd.com/meatpoultry/plantfinder/. Note that farmer exemptions allow slaughter of own animals for personal use (not sale), poultry exemptions permit up to 20,000 birds annually from own raising without full inspection (with limits), and wild game processing has exemptions if not mixed with commercial meat.
