Now that is very interesting. According to this article, earlier this year meat and poultry inspectors were designated 'essential personnel', meaning that they can continue to work even during a government shutdown. This is important because it's against the law to sell meat in the US if it hasn't been inspected by a USDA inspector.

Imagine the outcry if this government shutdown meant that all meat and poultry sales in the US halted until an agreement was reached.