USDA adjusts retail dollar limitations for meat, poultry sales in 2025
The new changes to dollar limitations will affect retail sales to hotels, restaurants, and institutions. The adjustments come as part of the USDA’s annual review of federal inspection requirements for meat and poultry products.
USA – The US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has updated the dollar limits for meat and poultry sales to businesses exempt from federal inspection requirements.
As of April 10, the updated rule, titled “Adjusted Dollar Limitations to Qualify for Retail Exemption,” sets the value for the retail dollar limitation for meat products at US$103,600 (in 2025).
Similarly, the retail dollar limitation for poultry products has been set at US$74,800 (in 2025).
These limits determine the amount of meat and poultry a retail store can sell to restaurants, hotels, and other businesses without violating federal inspection standards outlined in the Federal Meat Inspection Act and the Poultry Products Inspection Act.
The retail exemption can be revoked if a store exceeds the annual dollar limitation or if more than 25% of its total product sales come from meat or poultry.
FSIS reviews and adjusts the retail dollar limitations each year, using the Consumer Price Index (CPI) data published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
In cases where the CPI reflects a change of more than US$500 in the price of products, the retail dollar limits are automatically updated.
This year, the CPI reported a 2.85% increase in the average price of meat products, prompting a US$2,700 rise in the retail dollar limitation for meat sales.
For poultry, the CPI showed a smaller 0.83% price increase, resulting in a US$600 increase in the poultry product dollar limitation.
These adjustments ensure that dollar limitations align with changes in market conditions, maintaining consistent thresholds for businesses qualifying for exemptions.
The FSIS will continue to monitor pricing trends and adjust the limits each year to reflect the evolving costs within the industry.
In the US retail meat and poultry market, Tyson Foods dominates the chicken market, with sales exceeding US$42 billion
The poultry sector as a whole saw a combined value of US$67.1 billion in 2023, down from US$77.2 billion in 2022.
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