Press Releases
Meat Institute to USTR: Meat & Poultry Industry Needs Ambitious Trade Policy Agenda
In comments submitted to the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) for the 2025 National Trade Estimate Report, the Meat Institute called for an ambitious and comprehensive trade policy agenda to be paired with removal of tariff and non-tariff barriers to promote the growth and stability of the meat and poultry industry.
Meat Institute Approves New Officers and Board Members
Following a successful Protein PACT Summit focused on turning sustainability goals into action, the Meat Institute elected key new officers, Executive Board members and full Board of Directors members for 2025.
Meat Institute Selects Class of 2025 Emerging Leaders
The Meat Institute selected 24 participants for its 2025 Emerging Leaders Program, which promotes and develops future leaders in the meat and poultry industry.
Benchmarking report released at Protein PACT Summit spotlights sustainability progress and tools
The Meat Institute’s third annual continuous improvement report released today (Wednesday) at the Protein PACT Summit demonstrates progress on ambitious sustainability goals and provides updates on tools and partnerships accelerating achievement throughout the supply chain.
Meat Institute: USDA Continues to Over-Regulate Beef and Cattle Market
Following the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) requests for more information on possible new rules under the Packers and Stockyards Act on price discovery in cattle markets, Meat Institute President and CEO Julie Anna Potts today made the following statement
Meat Institute to USDA: Proposed Changes to Packers & Stockyards Act Rules Remain Flawed, Vague, Costly and Overreaching
The Meat Institute today submitted comments documenting the many flaws and costs of the latest proposed rules change to the Packers and Stockyards Act (PSA) by the Biden Administration.
Harris Proposal on Price Gouging Misses the Mark
WASHINGTON, DC – The Meat Institute issued the following statement from Meat Institute President and CEO, Julie Anna Potts, in response to news reporting of a Harris Campaign proposal to place a federal ban on price gouging:
“Consumers have been impacted by high prices due to inflation on everything from services to rent to automobiles, not just at the grocery store. A federal ban on price gouging does not address the real causes of inflation.
“The Harris campaign rhetoric unfairly targets the meat and poultry industry and does not match the facts. Food prices continue to come down from the highs of the pandemic. Prices for meat are based on supply and demand. Avian Influenza, a shortage of beef cattle and high input prices like energy and labor are all factors that determine prices at the meat case.
Meat Institute Opposes Section 301 Tariffs; Calls for Comprehensive Trade Agreements
In comments submitted to the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) opposing the proposed modifications to the Section 301 actions, the Meat Institute called for comprehensive trade agreements as a long-term strategy to level the playing field for meat and poultry companies and to hold China accountable for its actions.
Proposed Changes to Packers & Stockyards Act Rules Will Hurt Meat and Poultry Producers, Consumers
The latest proposed rule change to the Packers and Stockyards Act by the Biden Administration is attempting to set meat production back decades by encouraging litigation and limiting how livestock producers can market their animals to packers.
Meat Institute Updates Animal Handling Guidelines & Audit; Creates New Bison Audits
WASHINGTON, DC – To help members drive continuous improvement in the meat industry, the Meat Institute has updated its Animal Handling Guidelines and Animal Welfare Audit to include scores for each criterion allowing members to set goals. The Meat Institute also released a new bison animal welfare audit.
The guidelines and audit were authored by the Meat Institute’s Animal Welfare Committee, working with Colorado State University Professor of Animal Behavior Dr. Temple Grandin. The audit was certified by the Professional Animal Auditor Certification Organization.
“The Meat Institute has a longstanding commitment to animal welfare. It is especially important to track and improve animal handling for the well-being of the animals and the safety of workers,” said Julie Anna Potts. “Through these updated guidelines, and as part of the Protein PACT, Meat Institute companies continue to advance high standards of animal care.”
Meat Institute Creates Industry Guidance to Fight Child Labor and Identity Fraud
The Meat Institute has created a best practices document to help the meat and poultry industry prevent child labor and identity fraud. The document, the “Meat and Poultry Industry Best Practices: Workforce Age Verification” can be found here.
Properly Prepared Beef Remains Safe; Meat Institute Calls For Guidance to Protect Workers at Beef Facilities
As the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued a nationwide order including requiring lactating dairy cows to test negative for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) before interstate transport, the Meat Institute today said that properly prepared beef remains safe to eat and called for USDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to provide worker safety guidance specific to beef processors to ensure workers are protected from infection.
Meat Institute Names 2023 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Award Winners
The Meat Institute today honored five companies at the 2024 Environmental, Labor and Safety+ Conference in New Orleans with its highest award for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Those five companies are American Foods Group, Bob Evans Farms, Catelli Brothers, Fresh-Lock by Presto Products, and Tyson Foods.
Meat Institute Honors 2023 Health & Wellness Award Winners
The Meat Institute today recognized nearly 200 meat and poultry plants at the 2024 Environmental, Labor and Safety+ Conference in New Orleans for improving and achieving high levels of worker safety performance.
Meat Institute Honors 2023 Worker Safety Award Winners
The Meat Institute today recognized nearly 200 meat and poultry plants at the 2024 Environmental, Labor and Safety+ Conference in New Orleans for improving and achieving high levels of worker safety performance.
Meat Institute Recognizes 2023 Environmental Achievement Award Winners
The Meat Institute today recognized more than 200 meat and poultry plants at the 2024 Environmental, Labor and Safety+ Conference in New Orleans for their positive environmental impact efforts. Thirteen additional establishments that went above and beyond were granted Environmental Achievement Awards for their progress with emissions reduction, energy conservation, packaging/food waste reduction, technological innovation, and water conservation.
Meat and Poultry Coalition: EPA’s Wastewater Guidelines True Cost Is Over $1 Billion and Over 100,000 Jobs
Today, a coalition of meat and poultry industry groups said the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA or the Agency) proposed wastewater guidelines will cost hundreds of millions more than Agency estimates, kill at a minimum tens of thousands more jobs and close many processing facilities, resulting in hardship for livestock and poultry producers.
Meat and Poultry Coalition: EPA’s Wastewater Guidelines True Cost Is Over $1 Billion and Over 100,000 Jobs
Today, a coalition of meat and poultry industry groups said the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA or the Agency) proposed wastewater guidelines will cost hundreds of millions more than Agency estimates, kill at a minimum tens of thousands more jobs and close many processing facilities, resulting in hardship for livestock and poultry producers.
Meat Institute: Properly Prepared Beef is Safe to Eat; HPAI is not a Food Safety Threat
After the confirmed discovery of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in dairy cows by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Meat Institute today said properly prepared beef is safe to eat and is not a food safety risk to humans.
19th annual Power of Meat reports strong meat consumption, evolving consumer trends
The number of Americans who describe themselves as meat eaters (80%) and the number of households that purchase meat (98%) remain steady from 2023, while the number seeking to decrease meat consumption has fallen by 20% since 2020, according to the 19th annual Power of Meat report released today by the Meat Institute and FMI—The Food Industry Association.
