Meat and Poultry's History
The state has had a mandatory inspection program of plants doing business across county lines since 1962. However, country ham curers in the State and those establishments operating solely within county boundaries were exempt from inspection under State law. The meat inspection program in North Carolina is administered by the Meat and Poultry Inspection Service of the State Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Dr. E. W. Stapp was appointed as the first State Supervisor of North Carolina's Compulsory Meat and Poultry Inspection Service upon its inauguration in 1962. Dr. Stapp served in this capacity from 1962 to 1968.
On March 12, 1968 North Carolina signed a Federal/State cooperative agreement with the USDA under the Talmadge-Aiken Act. This agreement granted nine state plants desiring to ship their products across state lines Federal inspection to be performed by Federally licensed State employees under the subject cooperative agreement.
On May 31, 1968 North Carolina signed a State/Federal cooperative agreement under the Wholesome Meat Act of 1968 (WMA) with the USDA. This agreement brought approximately 200 slaughter and/or processing plants selling their products within the State's boundaries (intrastate commerce) under state inspection in June of 1969.
On November 7, 1968 Dr. Robert R. Miller was appointed as Director, Meat and Poultry Inspection Service with the responsibility of administering the program. Dr. Miller served as Director from 1969 to 1970. The inspection staff consisted of 120 full-time meat and poultry inspectors and approximately 50 contract veterinarians. The program was divided into 10 areas, each consisting of several counties. The staffing of each area provided for the direct supervision by a full-time veterinarian, assisted by a non-veterinary assistant supervisor of inspectors assigned to the plants in each area.
Once the WMA and Talmadge-Aiken agreements were signed, the state received Federal cost share assistance (50-50) totaling five hundred thousand dollars. The State budget for Fiscal Year 1970 was one million dollars.
On April 8, 1971 USDA certified the meat inspection program of the State of North Carolina as meeting the "at least equal to" requirements of the Federal Meat Inspection Act. Dr. James A. Bell was appointed State Director in 1971 and served in this position until May 15, 1985.
Dr. Claude W. Carraway, Jr. replaced Dr. Bell and served as State Director from May 15, 1985 to February 28, 1998. Dr. David T. Marshall assumed the duties of Director on March 1, 1998 and on July 1, 2000 passed the office to Dr. Steven C. Wells, who served as director until his retirement on January 31, 2008. Mr. Donald H. Delozier became the director on February 1, 2008 and retired April 30, 2013. Mr. W. Alan Wade served as director from May 1, 2013 until his retirement on January 1, 2017. Dr. Beth Yongue was appointed to lead as the director on February 20, 2017 and retired on March 1, 2020. Dr. Karen Beck is the current director.