Spending cuts could cause meat shortage

Now may be time to hoard the bacon and load up on steaks.

The White House put out a warning that sequestration — or the steep, automatic spending cuts set to take effect in March — may result in furloughing every meat and poultry inspector for two weeks, effectively shutting down a major part of the U.S. meat industry.

Factories are required to get inspection approval before shipping out their meat. So no inspectors means no beef, pork, poultry or egg products can be processed and delivered to stores.

The possible meat shortage was part of a broader warning from the Obama administration about the effect of sequestration on day-today life for many Americans.

The American Meat Institute, an industry lobbying group, said a furlough could mean billions in lost sales for meat companies and contended that Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack had a legal obligation to provide inspection services.

“It is incumbent on the secretary to examine the options available and develop a plan to provide inspection services ... in order to satisfy the duty imposed on him,” Patrick Boyle, the group’s chief executive, said in a statement.

In response, Vilsack said in a letter to the industry that such an option would be “the last option.”