The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service is extending the New Swine Inspection System increased line speed trials through May 15, 2025. The National Pork Producers Council called it a “win for efficiency” in feeding a growing population and alleviating supply issues.
“Pork producers appreciate USDA’s thoughtful and thorough approach to maintaining increased packing capacity, giving us more opportunities to safely and more efficiently deliver our products to consumers,” says NPPC President Lori Stevermer. “As expected after more than three years of operating at increased line speeds, FSIS has confirmed that increased line speeds are not a leading factor in worker safety.”
After completing a months-long study at six pork processing plants, line speeds were not the leading factor in worker musculoskeletal disorder risks. Without the increase in line speeds and the resulting decrease in packing capacity, some producers could have seen losses of $10 a head in early 2024.
House Committee on Agriculture Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson (PA-15) and Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Ranking Member John Boozman (R-AR) issued the following statement on USDA’s studies that found no correlation between poultry and swine processing line speeds and worker safety:
“The Biden-Harris administration needlessly created years of uncertainty throughout the duration of these studies, which deviated far beyond the original mission and attempted to villainize the pork and poultry industry, despite no findings of higher line speeds being a leading factor of increased risk to workers. These studies confirm what we have known all along – U.S. meat and poultry companies have the highest worker safety standards in the world. We look forward to working with the incoming Trump administration to develop a long-term solution to ensure meat and poultry companies have the ability to operate at higher line speeds, while maintaining rigorous food safety and worker safety standards.”
