Rules Will Allow Companies to Innovate & Benefit Entire Value Chain

WASHINGTON, DC – The Meat Institute today said the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) proposed rules changes concerning pork and poultry processing rates will increase production and innovation, helping to ease prices for consumers and benefitting 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 Meat Institute President and CEO, Julie Anna Potts. “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.”

Background on Pork Slaughter Line Speeds:

Line speed in swine slaughter facilities varies due to staffing variations, the ability to maintain worker safety, and food safety. USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) inspectors have the ability 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 NSIS rule is based on a pilot program FSIS initiated more than 25 years ago, giving the agency a wealth of data and a deep knowledge base from which to establish NSIS.

Under NSIS, plant employees in swine slaughter establishments conduct manual sorting activities to remove defects in carcasses and parts prior to FSIS inspection, making inspection more efficient. Critically, FSIS inspects 100% of live animals prior to 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 to operate at increased line speeds to gather data for rulemaking. FSIS contracted with the University of California, San Francisco to conduct a study released on Jan. 10, 2025.

The study found no statistically significant associations between line speeds and increased worker safety risk.

About the Meat Institute

The Meat Institute represents the full community of people and companies who make the majority of meat American families rely on every day. The Meat Institute’s hands-on regulatory and technical expertise, proactive advocacy, unique convening power, collaboration within and beyond animal agriculture, and sector-leading continuous improvement initiatives drive relationships and resources that ensure meat continues to be a vital, trusted pillar of healthy diets and thriving communities for generations to come. To learn more, visit: MeatInstitute.org.