Cooperative Interstate Shipping Program
The Cooperative Interstate Shipment (CIS) program promotes the expansion of business opportunities for state-inspected meat and poultry establishments. Under CIS, state-inspected plants can operate as federally-inspected facilities, under specific conditions, and ship their product in interstate commerce and may have the opportunity to export them to foreign countries, provided the CIS participating State has entered into a supplemental agreement that addresses the export of CIS inspected products. No states currently have a supplemental agreement for exporting product.
The CIS program is limited to plants located in the 29 states that have established a Meat and Poultry Inspection Program (MPI) and maintain “at least equal to” FSIS regulatory standards.
Currently Participating States
Agreement Signed: April 7, 2014
Contact Information
Bret D. Marsh, DVM, Indiana State Veterinarian
Indiana State Board of Animal Health
Discovery Hall, Suite 100
1202 East 38th Street
Indianapolis, IN 46205-2898
(317) 544-2413
1-877-747-3038 Toll-free
Fax: (317) 974-2011
Kerri L. Suhr, DVM
Director,
Meat and Poultry Inspection Division
Indiana Board of Animal Health
Discovery Hall, Suite 100
1202 East 38th Street
Indianapolis, IN 46205
(317) 544-2406
1- 877-747-3038 Toll-free
Fax (317) 974-2011
ksuhr@boah.in.gov
Renae Swiatkowski, DVM
Deputy Director,
Meat and Poultry Inspection Division
Indiana Board of Animal Health
Discovery Hall, Suite 100
1202 East 38th Street
Indianapolis, IN 46205
(317) 544-2402
1- 877-747-3038 Toll-free
Fax (317) 974-2011
rswiatkowski@boah.IN.gov
Agreement Signed: May 18, 2020
Contact Information
Mr. Mike Naig, Secretary
IA Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship
Wallace State Office Building, 502 East 9th Street
Des Moines, IA 50319
(515) 281-5322
Fax: (515) 281-7046
michael.naig@iowaagriculture.gov
Dr. Kathryn Polking, Bureau Chief
Iowa Meat & Poultry Inspection Bureau
Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship
Wallace State Office Building
502 East 9th St.
Des Moines, IA 50319
(515) 281-5597
Fax: (515) 281-4819
Kathryn.Polking@Iowaagriculture.gov
Agreement Signed: August 27, 2018
Contact Information
Amanda E. Beal
Commissioner
Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry
22 State House Station
Augusta, Maine 04333-0022
(207) 287-3419
Amanda.Beal@maine.gov
Jennifer Eberly, DVM, MPH
State Veterinarian and Director
Maine Meat and Poultry Inspection
Division of Quality Assurance and Regulations
Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry
SHS 28
32 Blossom Lane
Augusta, ME 04333
Office: 207-287-7512
Cell: 207-215-0948
Jennifer.eberly@maine.gov
Agreement Signed: July 3, 2019
Contact Information
Steve Strubberg, DVM, Missouri State Veterinarian
Missouri Department of Agriculture
Division of Animal Health
1616 Missouri Boulevard
PO Box 630
Jefferson City, MO 65102-0630
(573) 751-3377
Marin DeBauch, DVM, MPH, Program Director
Meat and Poultry Inspection
Missouri Department of Agriculture
Division of Animal Health
1616 Missouri Boulevard
PO Box 630
Jefferson City, MO 65102-0630
(573) 522-1242
Fax: (573) 751 6919
meatinspection@mda.mo.gov
Agreement Signed: March 16, 2022
Contact Information
Mike Honeycutt, Executive Officer
Montana Department of Livestock
PO BOX 202001
Helena MT 59620-2001
(406) 444-7323
livemail@mt.gov
Alicia Love, Acting Bureau Chief
Meat and Poultry Inspection Division
Montana Department of Livestock
PO Box 202001
Helena, Montana 59620-2001
(406) 438-6262
Alicia.Love2@mt.gov
Agreement Signed: January 11, 2013
Contact Information
Honorable Doug Geohring, Commissioner
North Dakota Department of Agriculture
Dept. 602
600 East Boulevard Avenue
Bismark, ND 58505-0020
(701) 328-2231
Dr. Andrea Grondahl, Director
State Meat Inspection
North Dakota Department of Agriculture
Dept. 602
600 East Boulevard Avenue
Bismark, ND 58505-0020
(701) 328-4762
Fax: (701) 328-4567
agrondah@nd.gov
Agreement Signed: August 8, 2012
Contact Information
Mr. Brian Baldridge, Director
Ohio Department of Agriculture
8995 East Main Street
Bromfield Adm. Bldg., 3rd Floor
Reynoldsburg, OH 43068
(614) 466-2732
Fax: (614) 466-6124
Dr. Nelson Weaver, Chief
Division of Meat Inspection
Ohio Department of Agriculture
8995 East Main Street
Reynoldsburg, OH 43068
Bromfield Adm. Bldg., 2nd Floor
Reynoldsburg, OH 43068
(614) 728-6260
Nelson.Weaver@agri.ohio.gov
Agreement Signed: June 7, 2021
Contact Information
Dr. Dustin Oedekoven, State Veterinarian and Executive Secretary
South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources
South Dakota Animal Industry Board
411 S. Fort St.
Pierre, SD 57501
(605) 773-3321
Dr. Tammy Anderson, Staff Veterinarian
South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources
South Dakota Animal Industry Board
411 S. Fort St.
Pierre, SD 57501
(605) 773-3321
Agreement Signed: August 11, 2020
Contact Information
Honorable Anson Tebbetts, Secretary
VT Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets
116 State Street
Drawer 20
Montpelier, VT 05620-2901
(802) 828-2430
Fax: (802) 828-2361
Dr. Katherine McNamara, DVM, Assistant State Veterinarian
VT Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets
Division of Food Safety and Consumer Protection
Meat Inspection Service
116 State Street
Drawer 20
Montpelier, VT 05620-2901
(802) 828-2426
Fax: (802) 828-5983
Katherine.McNamara@vermont.gov
Agreement Signed: January 14, 2013
Contact Information
Honorable Randy Romanski, Secretary
Wisconsin Department of Agriculture
Trade and Consumer Protection
P.O. Box 8911
Madison, WI 53708-8911
(608) 224-5015
Randy.romanski1@wisconsin.gov
Amy Millard, Deputy Administrator
Division of Food and Recreational Safety
Wisconsin Department of Agriculture
Trade and Consumer Protection
P.O. Box 8911
Madison, WI 53708-8911
(608) 469-4418
amy.millard1@wisconsin.gov
CIS Establishments
See ListApplication Process
State-Inspected Establishments Interested in Applying
To participate as a plant, you’ll need to apply through an agency administrating the state MPI program. Once you complete your application then, the state will evaluate your submission and based on their findings, will or will not recommend you for the CIS program.
To be considered for CIS by your state, you will need to have the following requirements:
- Must employ 25 or fewer employees;
- Have an adequate food safety system; and
- Meet appropriate facility standards.
Once the state determines you qualify then it will submit a recommendation on your behalf to the FSIS District Office for your state
After the District Office reviews the state’s recommendation and accepts your application then you will need to comply with all the requirements under the Federal Acts as follows:
- Meet the Federal regulatory sanitation performance standards in Title 9 CFR parts 416.1 through 416.5;
- Submit labels to the FSIS select establishment coordinator with the Office of Field Operations who will forward the labels to the FSIS Labeling and Program Delivery Division for review, except for those labels eligible for generic approval;
- Obtain the same water source and sewage system approval that FSIS requires for federally-regulated establishments;
- Develop written Standard Sanitation Operation Procedures (SSOP) as noted in 9 CFR 416.11 through 416.16; and
- Write a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) Plan in compliance with 9 CFR Part 417.
These are the requirements to obtain a Federal grant of inspection. You must comply with all of them in order to be selected into the CIS program
FSIS Review of State Application
There are a number of key steps that a State needs to take in order to be eligible to participate in CIS beyond operating their own MPI. For instance, States must demonstrate that they have authority under their own laws to provide the same inspection services as FSIS provides in official Federal establishments.
The necessary legal authority may come in the form of documentation that demonstrates the State incorporated the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA), the Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA) and the implementing regulations by reference. An example of such documentation is a copy of the law that authorized the incorporation.
Alternatively, a State that has not incorporated all provisions of the FMIA, PPIA and implementing regulations by reference could submit a copy of a State law that gives State personnel the authority to enforce Federal food safety standards for purposes of a CIS Program. Another route would be to submit a legal opinion from the State Attorney General that confirms that State personnel have such authority.
Major Differences Between a Cooperative Interstate Shipment Agreement and Federal Inspection
This illustrative chart demonstrates the differences between a Federally-inspected establishment and a State-inspected establishment operating under the Cooperative Interstate Shipment program.
Subject |
CIS Inspected |
Federally Inspected |
| Inspection Personnel | State appointed, federally-trained inspectors | Federally appointed inspectors |
| Application | Apply for a recommendation via the State where the establishment resides. | Apply for a Grant of Inspection via the FSIS District Office associated with your state. |
| Inspection Label | Federally Inspected seal with "SE" which symbolizes the product was made from a "state establishment". The seal will usually have the abbreviation on the federal seal as well. Each legend will differ due to different state abbreviations. (See examples below) | One standard seal of inspection for carcasses, one standard seal of inspection for processed meats and a standard seal for raw and processed poultry. |
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- FSIS Final Rule - Cooperative Inspection Programs: Interstate Shipment of Meat and Poultry Product (May 2, 2011)
- FSIS Directive 5740.1 - Cooperative Interstate Shipment Program
- Small & Very Small Plant Guidance
- FSIS Guidelines
