The Meat Institute has said the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) proposed rule changes concerning pork and poultry processing rates will increase production and innovation, helping to ease prices for consumers and benefit livestock and poultry producers.
“The Meat Institute has supported changes to line speed rules for pork and poultry processing through four administrations. We applaud the leadership of the Trump Administration in what we hope will be the final action to modernize FSIS rules and procedures to allow for innovation in processing and to increase production,” said Julie Anna Potts, president and CEO of the Meat Institute. “With this long overdue regulatory certainty, our member companies can invest in their operations to continue growth of the processing sector which benefits the consumer with more affordable and nutritious food.”
USDA announced the proposed updates Feb. 17, with Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins saying the changes “remove outdated bottlenecks so that we can lower production costs and create greater stability in our food system.”
The proposed rules – covering two separate rulemakings for swine and poultry – are open for public comment for 60 days following publication in the Federal Register.
Background on pork slaughter line speeds
Line speed in swine slaughter facilities varies due to staffing, the ability to maintain worker safety and food safety considerations. FSIS inspectors retain the authority to slow or stop the line in any facility as part of their regulatory authority.
In September 2019, FSIS issued its final New Swine Inspection System (NSIS) rule, establishing a voluntary modernized inspection system. NSIS allows FSIS inspectors to focus attention on verifying food safety and animal welfare requirements while providing flexibility for food safety innovation. The rule is based on a pilot program FSIS initiated more than 25 years ago, giving the agency a deep knowledge base from which to establish NSIS.
Under NSIS, plant employees in swine slaughter establishments conduct manual sorting to remove defects in carcasses and parts before FSIS inspection, making the process more efficient. FSIS inspects 100 percent of live animals before slaughter and all carcasses after slaughter in all regulated facilities.
Due to a court decision regarding the Administrative Procedures Act, allowances for faster line speeds under NSIS were vacated and participating establishments were required to operate at slower speeds as of June 30, 2021. In November 2021, FSIS invited NSIS establishments to participate in a time-limited trial at increased line speeds to gather data for rulemaking. FSIS contracted with the University of California, San Francisco to conduct a study, released Jan. 10, 2025, which found no statistically significant associations between line speeds and increased worker safety risk.
[RELATED: USDA Proposes Updates To Line Speed Rules For Poultry, Pork Processors]