A. Rabbit and rabbit products are an important source of the nation's total supply of food. It is essential in the public interest that the health and welfare of consumers be protected by assuring that slaughtered rabbit and rabbit products distributed to them are wholesome, not adulterated, and properly marked, labeled, and packaged. Unwholesome, adulterated, or misbranded rabbit or rabbit products are injurious to the public welfare, destroy markets for wholesome, not adulterated, and properly labeled and packaged rabbit and rabbit products, and result in sundry losses to rabbit producers and processors of rabbit and rabbit products, as well as injury to consumers. The unwholesome, adulterated, mislabeled, or deceptively packaged articles can be sold at lower prices and compete unfairly with the wholesome, not adulterated, and properly labeled and packaged articles, to the detriment of consumers and the public generally.

B. It is hereby declared to be the policy of the Legislature of this state to provide for the inspection of rabbit and rabbit products and otherwise regulate the processing and distribution of such articles to prevent the movement or sale in intrastate commerce of rabbit and rabbit products which are adulterated or misbranded.

Laws 1989, HB 1370, c. 170, § 2, emerg. eff. July 1, 1989.