LITTLE ROCK, ARK. — The Arkansas Department of Agriculture announced the first two licensed facilities in the Arkansas Meat Inspection Program, JACO Meats, Hope, Ark., and the Arkansas State University Meat Market, Jonesboro, Ark.

“The establishment of state-inspected processing facilities at JACO Meats and the ASU Meat Market is great news for Arkansas consumers and the state’s agriculture industry,” said Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture Wes Ward. “We are hopeful that this program will continue to expand and increase the availability of locally-sourced meat and meat products for Arkansans.”

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) finalized an agreement with Arkansas in 2021 that allows the state to inspect meat products for shipment within Arkansas.

Arkansas is one of 28 states participating in the FSIS’s State Meat and Poultry Inspection (MPI) programs. Through the programs, state inspectors are given authority to enforce regulatory requirements at small state establishments. Regulation must be at least equal to those in the Federal Meat Inspection Act.