The Trump administration has directed the US Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) to accelerate pork and poultry processing by removing “outdated” administrative requirements.
These “outdated” norms have “slowed” output and resulted in “unnecessary” costs for producers, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) said in a press statement.
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The directive, announced by the US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, highlighted that the aim is to “reduce burdens” on the pork and poultry sectors, supporting “greater efficiency” with safety standards in place.
Rollins said: “America leads the world in pork and poultry production and we are committed to ensuring our producers remain competitive on a global scale without being held back by unnecessary bureaucracy.
“Under President Trump’s leadership, we are cutting unnecessary red tape, empowering businesses to operate more efficiently and strengthening American agriculture – all while upholding the highest food safety standards.”
The FSIS will extend waivers allowing pork and poultry plants to operate at higher line speeds and “meet demand without excessive government interference”.
A formal ruling on the policy is anticipated to be imminent, the USDA statement said, adding that the reforms will “strengthen US food production, reduce costs for producers and support a more resilient supply chain”.
US trade association the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) has welcomed the USDA’s plan to make permanent the new swine inspection system (NSIS) and increased line speed programme.
NPPC president Duane Stateler said the action will provide “financial security and more stability for pork producers”.
“Without this programme, some pork producers could have incurred an additional loss of nearly $10 a head,” he said.
The FSIS initially approved increased line speeds at six pork packing plants in November 2021 as part of a programme to assess potential impacts on worker safety.
The trials were extended in December 2023 for an additional 90 days and again in February 2024, continuing through to 15 January 2025.
In January, the FSIS released findings from its study of the six plants, concluding increased line speeds were not the leading factor in worker musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) risks.
The USDA’s announcement cited research that found no direct link between line speeds and workplace injuries, adding that the FSIS will no longer require plants to submit worker safety data.
However, concerns over worker safety in the industry remain.
Employer-reported data reported by US Department of Labor in October 2024 showed that meat and poultry workers suffer serious injuries at twice the rate of other industries.
In 2022, the animal slaughtering and processing sector reported occupational illness cases six times higher than the average for all industries, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
