§ 3303. Purposes

It is the objective of this chapter to provide for meat and poultry products inspection programs that will impose and enforce requirements with respect to intrastate operations and commerce that are at least equal to those imposed and enforced under the Federal Meat Inspection Act and the federal Poultry Products Inspection Act with respect to operations and transactions in interstate commerce. In addition, it is the further objective of this chapter to provide for licensing, and periodic review of establishments, such as retail vendors, custom licensed establishments, and wholesale distributors, which are not subject to traditional inspection under the Federal Meat Inspection Act and the federal Poultry Products Inspection Act. In this way, the public will be better protected from uninspected, adulterated, unwholesome, mislabeled, or otherwise illegal meat and poultry products. The Secretary is directed to administer this chapter so as to accomplish these purposes. The Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets is designated as the appropriate State agency to cooperate with the Secretary of Agriculture of the United States and to administer this chapter.