As U.S. meat packaging and processing companies persevere to
supply the nation's grocery shelves during the COVID-19
pandemic, the industry finds itself once again under the regulatory
spotlight. On May 6, 2020, President Donald Trump asked the
Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate allegations that U.S.
beef and pork producers violated federal antitrust laws. Just one
week prior, the president signed an executive order classifying
meat plants as essential infrastructure that must remain open under
the Defense Production Act.
These developments reflect only the latest challenges to an
industry that generates approximately 5 percent of U.S. gross
domestic product. Indeed, the DOJ announced a criminal antitrust
investigation into poultry processors in June 2019. That
investigation remains ongoing. Additionally, state and federal
politicians, including state attorneys general, have initiated
numerous investigations into poultry, beef, and pork packing and
processing
