[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 77 (Wednesday, May 26, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6060-S6061]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. GRAMS:
  S. 1133. A bill to amend the Poultry Products Inspection Act to cover 
birds

[[Page S6061]]

of the order Ratitae that are raised for use as human food; to the 
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.


         poultry products inspection act amendments legislation

 Mr. GRAMS. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce a bill to 
amend the Poultry Products Inspection Act to include birds of the 
Ratitae order, such as ostriches, emus, and rheas, in the mandatory 
USDA meat inspection program. Currently producers of ratitae 
participate in a voluntary inspection program, but costs are borne by 
the producers and can add as much as $2 per pound to the price of the 
product. The USDA currently absorbs the cost of inspection for the more 
traditional agricultural products, such as turkey, poultry, and beef.
  I introduce this legislation to encourage agricultural 
entrepreneurship and diversification, and to level the economic playing 
field for those farmers willing to take innovative risks to bring new 
products to American and global consumers. Ratite meat is reported to 
be high in protein and low in fat and cholesterol, and byproducts from 
the animals are being studied by universities and medical labs for 
their potential uses. I would also note that farmers engaged in 
producing ratite meat can now be found all over the country, not just 
in Minnesota.
  With the increasing focus in our country on food safety, I believe 
this bill is a small but important step toward both encouraging 
development of alternative agricultural products and ensuring the 
safety of the food our citizens consume.
  I ask my colleagues to join with me in support of this bill to help 
family farms diversify into new products that will provide them with 
new income sources and give American consumers more variety at the 
grocery store.
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