The Meat Goat Quality Assurance (MGQA) program is a set of standardized practices and procedures that assures public safety and wholesomeness of all goat products produced in the U.S. This program, when fully developed, is similar to those used for beef (Beef Quality Assurance) and pork (Pork Quality Assurance). These preferred practices are usually approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and are designed to assure the public that the industry is producing safe and quality products (Merkel, 2005).

The program, with recommended production practices and procedures can assist both experienced and inexperienced producers in making sound production decisions that will result in animals that meet or exceed industry and federal standards for meat quality. This program will unify producers in working towards industry standards and can be used as a marketing tool. I believe that the adoption of an industry-wide MGQA program would be a major step in the promotion of U.S.-grown goat meat. A quality assurance statement, coupled with the natural benefits of goat meat compared to other red meats in terms of fat, CLA and cholesterol content, could be the basis for a rather effective marketing campaign. Having an industry approach to quality assurance can assist producers in complying with federal regulations and avoid problems that could drastically affect the entire industry.