Cooperative Agreement FI26A302DEBAR001

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), through its Office of Field Operations, awarded a $438,000 Cooperative Agreement to the Delaware Department of Agriculture's Food Products Inspection Division under the Cooperative Agreements with States for Intrastate Meat and Poultry Inspection program (CFDA 10.475) for the period October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. This award enables Delaware to operate and maintain a state-level meat and poultry inspection program that meets or exceeds federal standards, ensuring consumers have access to safe, wholesome, and properly labeled meat and poultry products produced and distributed within the state.

Under this Cooperative Agreement, the Delaware Department of Agriculture's Food Products Inspection Division delivers comprehensive inspection and regulatory services, including ante-mortem and post-mortem meat and poultry inspections, product sampling and compliance monitoring, enforcement actions related to food safety regulations, and verification of country-of-origin labeling. The division also manages voluntary poultry and shell egg grading services and performs mandatory shell egg inspection services through state-licensed employees. This cooperative model allows small and mid-sized meat and poultry processors to operate under state inspection oversight without requiring separate federal inspection, while Delaware maintains direct regulatory control and federal funding support to sustain its inspection infrastructure.