Unless a State Judge opts to call a timeout, regulations regarding pork sales are going to be changing later this month. It was seven years ago that voters approved a law that mandates livestock be given room to roam and that camped conditions would be outlawed. The new law would govern livestock either in Massachusetts or elsewhere, even if the livestock were slaughtered there. The State Attorney General will have to deal with meat that travels through the state, but is neither produced nor sold in Massachusetts. Meantime, the National Pork Producers Council as well as the State Restaurant Association have filed a lawsuit challenging the law. They have done so in California as well.
According to the new law, pigs, for example, will have to have enough space to lie down, stand up and turn around freely. Stores in the state are banned from selling meat that doesn't adhere to the guidelines. The state will not however regulate hotdogs which are considered a combination product.
According to the latest data, Massachusetts residents consumed about 356 million pounds in 2022. Of that one point 9 million pounds was produced in the state.
US District Court Judge Margaret Guzman is considering her next actions. She has already paused "transshipped" pork.
A state judge is also considering a pause in implementation of the new law.
(Photo by BERTRAND GUAY/AFP via Getty Images)
Photo: BERTRAND GUAY / AFP / Getty Images