May 8, 2007

Vermont allows sale of uninspected chicken

In an effort to promote small poultry operations, Vermont's Senate has given preliminary approval to a bill that allows uninspected chickens and other fowl to be sold in restaurants and farmers markets.

Under the bill, poultry farmers who sell fewer than 1,000 birds a year would be exempted from facilities inspections.

However, there were concerns, even among those in the Senate, that the matter could have a significant impact on poultry farmers and consumers.

It is currently legal for farms to slaughter and sell uninspected poultry on site.

The new bill would allow meat from such birds to be sold in restaurants as well, under certain conditions: The meat would be labelled as uninspected and the poultry can only come from farms that slaughter less than 1,000 birds a year.

Opponents of the bill said the danger of uninspected poultry sickening people would be damaging to the state's reputation.