An appeal court has upheld a Massachusetts state law that declares it illegal to sell pigs that have been housed in a confined space.
Judge William Young dismissed arguments from Missouri-based Triumph Foods and out-of-state hog farmers that the federal Meat Inspection Act pre-empted the state law.
The plaintiffs claimed that the state law created additional, different requirements for pig handling than the federal law.
The judge determined that Massachusetts' law merely bans the sale of non-compliant pork meat and does not regulate slaughterhouse operations directly. This distinction was crucial in rejecting the pre-emption argument.
The Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act was enacted through a 2016 ballot initiative, with 77 per cent of voters supporting it.
It prohibits the sale of pork, veal, and eggs from animals that do not meet certain minimum space requirements for confinement.