[§159-2]  Findings and declaration ofnecessity.  It is hereby declared that the meat industry is a paramountagricultural industry of this State and the production and marketing of meat isan enterprise that is of significant importance to the economy of this Stateand to the health of the consuming public.  It is essential to the publichealth and welfare of consumers that they be protected by assuring that meatand meat products distributed to them are wholesome, not adulterated, andproperly marked, labeled, and packaged.  Unwholesome, adulterated, ormisbranded meat or meat products are injurious to the public health andwelfare, destroy markets for wholesome, unadulterated, and properly labeled andpackaged meat and meat products and result in sundry losses to livestockproducers and processors of meat and meat products, as well as injury toconsumers.  The unwholesome, adulterated, mislabeled, or deceptively packagedarticles can be sold at lower prices and compete unfairly with the wholesome,unadulterated, and properly labeled and packaged articles, to the detriment ofconsumers and the public generally.  It is hereby found that regulation by thedepartment of agriculture and cooperation by this State with the United StatesDepartment of Agriculture as contemplated by this Hawaii Meat Inspection Act isappropriate to protect the health and welfare of consumers and otherwise toeffectuate the purposes of this chapter.

Congress enacted the Meat Inspection Act in1907 (Public Law 59-242), as amended by the Wholesome Meat Act in 1967 (PublicLaw 90-201) which is now redesignated as the Federal Meat Inspection Act.  TheFederal Meat Inspection Act is intended to protect the consuming public fromadulterated or misbranded meat and meat products and to assist the states intheir efforts to accomplish this objective.  The Federal Meat Inspection Actauthorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to furnish financial and relatedassistance to states for the administration of meat inspection programs whichconform to established federal standards up to fifty per cent of the estimatedtotal cost of the cooperative program.  Presently, the meat processing industryin this State is not subject to any meat inspection law or rules andregulations that meet the minimum federal requirement in this area.  ThisState, in order to qualify for the cooperative program, must demonstrate"progressive action" by November 15, 1969; and, further, allphysical facilities must be upgraded in accordance with the established federalstandards by November 15, 1970.  Failure to comply with the federalstandards prescribed by the Federal Meat Inspection Act will result in federalcontrol 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 welfareto take those steps as are necessary to qualify for federal financial andrelated assistance for the administration of a meat inspection program whichconforms to federal standards prescribed in the Federal Meat Inspection Act. [L1969, c 214, pt of §1]