Thursday, September 19, 2019

New USDA rule allows pork processors to take responsibility for some inspections, increase slaughter line speeds

Pork processing plants will have fewer federal inspectors, and could have faster line speeds, under a controversial rule the U.S. Department of Agriculture finalized this week.

Inspectors reject live animals that look sick, or carcass sections that look suspect. "Under the new rule, just announced, pork companies have a new option," Dan Charles reports for NPR. "They can hire their own people to help out. These company employees would be at each inspection station, weeding out any problematic pig parts before the USDA inspector gives the meat a green light. There will be fewer USDA inspectors in the plant because they won't have as much to do."

The new rule also eliminates limits on slaughter line speeds. Critics worry that will injure more workers, but industry representatives say it won't. Casey Gallimore, director of regulatory and scientific affairs at the North American Meat Institute, a lobbying group, "says that the new rules will allow plants to try out new ways of operating that could be more efficient," Charles reports. "She says it won't affect food safety. The additional company employees will be highly trained, and USDA inspectors still will look at every piece of pork that goes into the food supply."

Critics say company employees aren't required to have extra inspection training, and worry they won't be as aggressive as USDA inspectors in looking for problems. Patty Lovera, an industry critic with the nonprofit Food and Water Watch, told Charles that "to ask company employees to be under that pressure, of pulling product out and costing their employer money, is a lot to ask."

The new rules will go into effect in two months, and pork processors have several months to decide whether to switch to the new inspection system, Charles reports.

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