Potatoes...

[Guest]

A5, so you have experience with managing a large slaughterhouse meat processor?

Show us the numbers. What is the cost of safety regulations in the big processors relative to all the other costs? And what food safety regulations would you cut? Did we learn anything from the listeria outbreak a few years ago? What is the cost of loss of consumer confidence?

I prefer to buy my meat locally from a farmer or raise it myself. But I also want to know that that the meat is inspected and that its not covered in feces and is safe to eat without contamination.

some even inspect it on Facebook

[AlbertaFarmer5]

What is the cost of safety regulations in the big processors relative to all the other costs?

You have hit the nail on the head. When they process thousands of head per day, the cost per carcass becomes inconsequential. Spread those fixed costs over 1 head per day and it is prohibitive. As evidenced by all of the closed mom and pop butcher shops.

[chuckChuck]

And as a consumer how much more are you willing to pay for additional costs? And how much extra do most consumers want to pay? Wouldn't you say this is a good old fashioned market driven phenomena?

Small players can't compete if consumers need and want health and safety regulations which they generally want.

Would small plants be able to compete if there were no regulations? Not likely to any large amount. This is all driven by the market and economics.

[wmoebis]

Are consumers afraid of getting sick from buying from small processors or is it a made up fear factor that Corp's want us to believe?