Meat+Poultry - January 2024 - 14

WASHINGTON
Stretching line speeds
The US Department of Agriculture's
(USDA) Food Safety and Inspection
Service (FSIS) announced an extension
of the time-limited trial (TLT) for
the New Swine Slaughter Inspection
System (NSIS) establishments to
operate without line speed limitations.
Currently six pork processing
plants operate under the TLT, allowing
for line speeds above 1,106 head per
hour. The six facilities are located in
Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska
and Pennsylvania. Almost 40% of the
US hog supply is within 100 miles of
the six processing plants.
In March 2021, a court order from
a Minnesota District Court vacated
the component of USDA's NSIS
that eliminated line speed limits for
participating establishments. The
court ruled that FSIS violated the
Administrative Procedures Act (APA)
when the agency failed to consider
whether increasing line speeds would
harm workers. The order by the court
was placed on hold for 90 days until
the USDA developed a plan for plants
that converted to NSIS. Consequently,
all NSIS establishments were required
to operate at line speeds not exceeding
1,106 head per hour as of June 30, 2021.
In consultation with the
Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA), FSIS proposed
a new TLT for NSIS establishments
in November 2021. All participating
establishments agreed to collect and
submit data that would be used to
evaluate the impact of increased line
speed on workers.
Following the trial period, FSIS
contracted with a third-party team of
worker safety experts to evaluate the
data. The team determined that the
data submitted was not sufficient to
conclusively evaluate the impact of
increased line speeds.
FSIS is commissioning a study
that will independently generate the
necessary data for expert analysis. The
agency is extending the TLTs for up to
an additional 90 days while the study is
being designed.
The agency pledged to send letters
to the six swine establishments with
requirements needed to operate a TLT
during the 90-day period, including
keeping in place measures outlined in
their worker safety agreements.
LAWMAKERS SPEAK
The extension came in response to a
letter from the US Senate Committee
on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry
expressing committee members'
concerns that the agency had not
established a permanent solution or
extended the trial period.
" USDA's inaction amplifies the
economic uncertainty facing hog
farmers at a time when profitability
for farrow-to-finish hog operations is
already at its worst level in more than
two decades, " the committee said
in November. " Absent a permanent
solution or an extension of the current
Time Limited Trial, these processors
will have to reduce their operational
capacity, which reduces demand for
hogs, disrupts the supply chain for
US hog farmers and processors, and
exacerbates already historically high
inflation in the US food supply. "
According to estimates from
Dermot Hayes, a professor of
economics and finance at Iowa State
University, the expiration of the
TLT could reduce pork processing
capacity by at least 2.5% nationwide
or nearly 260,000 hogs per month in
reduced output.
The National Pork Producers
Council (NPPC) expressed support for
maintaining the higher line speeds.
" The National Pork Producers
Council urges the USDA to preserve
this vital added harvest capacity, " the
organization said in a statement. " For
over two decades, harvest facilities
have shown that increased inspection
speeds can be maintained without
compromising food or worker safety.
Sufficient harvest capacity is critical
to allow America's farmers to continue
producing high-quality, nutritious
American pork. "
RYAN MCCARTHY and RACHAEL OATMAN
meatpoult r y@sos land.com
" For over two decades, harvest facilities
have shown that increased inspection
speeds can be maintained without
compromising food or worker safety. "
- NATIONAL PORK PRODUCERS COUNCIL
14 MEAT+POULTRY | 01.24 | www.meatpoultry.com
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