OTHER NEWS - Dec. 3, 1993

Southern Producers Sue to Block State Law on Fresh Chicken: The nation’s biggest chicken processors sued the state Department of Food and Agriculture to block implementation of a state law that effectively prevents them from selling fresh chicken in California. The law defines a fresh chicken as one that has never had an internal temperature below 25 degrees, or one that has never been held below 25 degrees for more than 24 hours. Chicken processors in the South ship chickens in trucks cooled to 25 degrees. The trip to California from Arkansas or Texas, where many processors are located, takes two to three days. California processors can ship their chicken at 25 degrees and still comply with the law because they travel relatively short distances. The law takes effect Jan. 1.