It is hereby declared that the meat industry is a paramount agricultural industry of this State and the production and marketing of meat is an enterprise that is of significant importance to the economy of this State and to the health of the consuming public. It is essential to the public health and welfare of consumers that they be protected by assuring that meat and meat products distributed to them are wholesome, not adulterated, and properly marked, labeled, and packaged. Unwholesome, adulterated, or misbranded meat or meat products are injurious to the public health and welfare, destroy markets for wholesome, unadulterated, and properly labeled and packaged meat and meat products and result in sundry losses to livestock producers and processors of meat and meat products, as well as injury to consumers. The unwholesome, adulterated, mislabeled, or deceptively packaged articles can be sold at lower prices and compete unfairly with the wholesome, unadulterated, and properly labeled and packaged articles, to the detriment of consumers and the public generally. It is hereby found that regulation by the department of agriculture and cooperation by this State with the United States Department of Agriculture as contemplated by this Hawaii Meat Inspection Act is appropriate to protect the health and welfare of consumers and otherwise to effectuate the purposes of this chapter.

Congress enacted the Meat Inspection Act in 1907 (Public Law 59-242), as amended by the Wholesome Meat Act in 1967 (Public Law 90-201) which is now redesignated as the Federal Meat Inspection Act. The Federal Meat Inspection Act is intended to protect the consuming public from adulterated or misbranded meat and meat products and to assist the states in their efforts to accomplish this objective. The Federal Meat Inspection Act authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to furnish financial and related assistance to states for the administration of meat inspection programs which conform to established federal standards up to fifty per cent of the estimated total cost of the cooperative program. Presently, the meat processing industry in this State is not subject to any meat inspection law or rules and regulations that meet the minimum federal requirement in this area. This State, in order to qualify for the cooperative program, must demonstrate “progressive action” by November 15, 1969; and, further, all physical facilities must be upgraded in accordance with the established federal standards by November 15, 1970. Failure to comply with the federal standards prescribed by the Federal Meat Inspection Act will result in federal control of the meat and meat processing industries of the State. Accordingly, the State deems it to be in the best interest of the public health and welfare to take those steps as are necessary to qualify for federal financial and related assistance for the administration of a meat inspection program which conforms to federal standards prescribed in the Federal Meat Inspection Act.