Mississippi is one of twenty-seven states that have a meat inspection program. The Meat Inspection Division of Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce (MDAC) began with the Meat, Meat-Food and Poultry Regulation and Inspection Law of 1960. The law was amended with the Mississippi Inspection Law of 1968 at which time it entered into a cooperative agreement with the USDA. The purpose of the cooperative agreement is to establish a meat and poultry inspection system that is “equal to” the federal inspection system.

In 1964, the Animal and Poultry By-Products Disposal Law was enacted. This law requires MDAC to control and regulate the transportation over state highways and disposal of poultry by-products, slaughterhouse offal, and carcasses of dead animals.

Today, the Meat Inspection Division provides inspection services to establishments that prepare meat and poultry food products for entry into intrastate commerce and to some establishments that engage in interstate commerce. The Division inspects all establishments engaged in the slaughtering of food animals and poultry, except for those plants operating under federal inspection. The Division also inspects the further processing of meat, meat-food products, poultry, and poultry food products and their preparation for consumer items. These products are also inspected throughout formulation, packaging, labeling, and distribution to retail outlets. This assurance is becoming more critical as more food products are intended to be consumed with little or no further preparation at home.

MDAC has a cooperative agreement with the USDA establishing a meat and poultry inspection system that is equal to the federal inspection system. In addition, MDAC has cooperative agreements for the Talmadge-Aiken Program (TA), which permits state employees to provide inspections at federal meat plants, as well as the Compliance and Investigation Division Program (CID), which gives authority to inspect businesses that handle meat and poultry for law compliance.

The inspection program will be conducted without regard to race, color, national orgin, age, or disability.

Limited English Proficiency documents will be provided upon written request to the director of the Meat Inspection Division.

Meat Inspection Forms

Application for Rendering Plants (PDF)

Application for Meat Plant Inspection (PDF)

Complaint on Business (PDF)

Registration for Meat Food Handlers (PDF) (warehouses, jobbers & etc.)

Registration for Exempt Poultry Producers (PDF) (1,000 or less birds per year / 1,000-20,000 birds per year)

Meat Inspection Laws

The Animal and Poultry By-Products Disposal Law of 1964

Mississippi Code Annotated Sections 41-51-1 through 41-51-33  Regulates the disposition of animal and poultry inedible waste. The law designates the Department as the responsible agency for licensing and inspecting of rendering plants and the disposal of their products. Administered by the Meat Inspection Division.

The Meat, Meat-Food, Poultry Regulation & Inspection Law of 1960

Mississippi Code Annotated Sections 75-33-1 through 75-33-39  Provides for the inspection of meat, meat-food and poultry and the licensing and inspection of the facilities used for such processing.

Mississippi Meat Inspection Law of 1968

Mississippi Code Annotated Sections 75-35-1 through 75-35-33  Specifies inspection requirements concerning adulteration, misbranding and processing. In addition to providing consumer protection, the program strengthens the market for Mississippi-produced livestock.

Meat Processors and Related Industries

Mississippi Code Annotated Sections 75-35-101 through 75-35-107  Provides that inspection shall not be provided for facilities processing carcasses not intended for human food and that such carcasses are to be denatured. Regulates transactions in or transportation of dead, dying or diseased animals.

Meat Inspection, Federal and State Cooperation

Mississippi Code Annotated Section 75-35-201  Provides for cooperation between the Department of Agriculture and Commerce and the Secretary of Agriculture of the United States.

Meat Inspection, Auxiliary Provisions

Mississippi Code Annotated Sections 75-35-301 through 75-35-325  In 1971, Mississippi became the 24th state to comply with the Federal Wholesale Meat Act of 1967.