Beef, pork, lamb, and poultry products sold direct to Iowa consumers
Iowa Code 137F.1 excludes meat, meat food products, poultry, and poultry food products from the cottage food exemption entirely, and custom exempt slaughter (marked "Not for Sale") only serves the animal's own owner — neither path allows a direct retail sale.
To legally sell meat or poultry to the public — through a farm store, farmers market, or online — the animal must be slaughtered and processed at a USDA/FSIS-inspected or IDALS-inspected state plant, with labels approved by that plant.
State-inspected product can only be sold within Iowa unless the plant has Cooperative Interstate Shipment (CIS) status; USDA/FSIS-inspected product can be sold and shipped across state lines. Federally exempt poultry (1,000-bird rule) is limited to sales directly to household consumers, with recordkeeping required.
| Item | Rule | Regulator |
|---|---|---|
| Officially inspected meat/poultry (retail sale) | Slaughtered/processed at USDA or Iowa state-inspected plant | USDA FSIS / IDALS IMPIB |
| Custom exempt slaughter | Marked "Not for Sale"; owner's household use only | Iowa Code 189A.4 |
| Exempt poultry (1,000-bird / 20,000-bird rule) | Sold to household consumers only; records kept | 9 CFR / IDALS |
| State-inspected plant licensing | $50/yr up to 20,000 lb; $100/yr above | IDALS IMPIB |
| Cottage food exemption | Explicitly does not apply to meat/poultry | Iowa Code 137F.1 |
Only if the locker processed it under official inspection for retail sale, not as a custom-exempt job. Custom exempt product is marked "Not for Sale" and legally belongs only to the animal's owner for personal use.
State (IDALS) inspection allows sale only within Iowa unless the plant has Cooperative Interstate Shipment status; USDA/FSIS inspection allows sale and shipping across state lines.
The federal small-flock poultry exemption (1,000 birds/year) allows sale directly to household consumers with recordkeeping, but confirm current program status and required documentation with IDALS before relying on it.
You must share your exact recipe with the inspecting agency for review, and by law they are required to keep that information secure.