POLICY.

(a) Meat and meat food products are an important source of the nation's total food supply. It is essential in the public interest that the health and welfare of consumers be protected by assuring that meat and meat food products distributed to them are wholesome, unadulterated, and properly marked, labeled, and packaged. Unwholesome, adulterated, or misbranded meat or meat food products:

(1) injure the public welfare;

(2) destroy markets for wholesome, unadulterated, and properly labeled and packaged meat and meat food products;

(3) cause losses to livestock producers and processors of meat and meat food products;

(4) cause injury to consumers; and

(5) can be sold at lower prices and compete unfairly with wholesome, unadulterated, and properly labeled and packaged articles, to the detriment of consumers and the public.

(b) Regulation by the department and cooperation by this state and the United States as provided by this chapter are appropriate to protect the health and welfare of consumers and otherwise accomplish the purposes of this chapter.