In 1987 Senator Jay Rockefeller of WV "saved the pepperoni roll"
from Senator Rockefeller's website in 2001:

"Pepperoni Rolls are part of our state's heritage, and Rockefeller saved them - and the jobs of bakers in north-central West Virginia. Rockefeller fought to eliminate the federal government's unnecessary and burdensome regulations, thereby preserving the entire industry."

http://www.senate.gov/~rockefeller

A letter from Senator Rockefeller 2002
Read the entire letter
In 1987 the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) was implementing a change that would re-classify pepperoni roll bakeries as meat packers. This change in designation would require these mostly small, family-owned bakeries to meet the more stringent safety and sanitation standards that meat processing businesses must follow despite the fact that the pepperoni used to make a pepperoni roll is already certified by the USDA before the bakeries slice it for their rolls.

Costs associated with meeting the new classification requirements were estimated to exceed $100,000 or more, potentially delivering a devastating blow not only to the future existence of the West, Virginia pepperoni roll, but more importantly, to the family-owned businesses that produce them. Because of the proposed classification, the pepperoni roll may have ceased to exist.

Senator Rockefeller contacted the then-Secretary of Agriculture Richard Lyng to let him know that this decision would severely affect their ability to continue to operate. Because of this action the USDA decided to hold bakeries that produce pepperoni rolls accountable only to existing inspection standards. This enabled the bakeries to continue making their signature product which accounted for much of their revenue - signifying a big, victory for these small businesses in the state.


A letter from Senator Rockefeller 2002