WASHINGTON (DTN) -- Making the case Americans need more affordable protein in their diets, USDA on Tuesday again proposed to increase line speeds at the country's pork and poultry plants.

Line speeds for processing poultry and pork have been a long-standing issue sparking proposed rules, pilot projects, studies and litigation over the past decades.

The latest updates in the federal inspection systems for the plants "reflect years of data and experience, and are designed to lower costs for American families, reduce outdated regulatory barriers for processors, and support a more efficient and resilient food supply," USDA stated.

"As Secretary, my responsibility is to ensure that American families have access to affordable, safe, and abundant food," said Secretary Rollins. "These updates remove outdated bottlenecks so that we can lower production costs and create greater stability in our food system. By bringing our regulations in line with proven, real-world capabilities, we are supporting a stronger supply chain, giving producers and processors the certainty they need, and helping keep groceries more affordable for every household."

The announcement also comes after the Trump administration proposed a new food pyramid that doubles the volumes of recommended protein in diets.

The new proposed rule was filed by USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and includes a 60-day comment period.

INDUSTRY GROUPS PRAISE NEW RULE

Meat industry groups praised USDA's latest proposed rule while union leaders argue the rules will increase the risks of injuries for workers in those plants.

Harrison Kircher, president of the National Chicken Council, thanked Rollins and the Trump administration, saying they are following 30 years of studies and data to increase line speeds at poultry plants.

"The current patchwork approach has created significant uncertainty for companies and has put our members at a disadvantage globally, where other countries operate at faster speeds," Kircher said. "We appreciate the administration's pro-business approach and for helping to increase the global competitiveness of America's chicken producers. We look forward to providing input as the rulemaking process begins."

The National Chicken Council stated, "It is important to note that the part of the processing line (evisceration) that deals with the speed increase is almost entirely automated. This modernized system has been studied, debated, and reviewed in depth for two and a half decades to assure its effectiveness in further modernizing chicken inspection while improving food safety and protecting workers. Research has confirmed that higher evisceration line speeds in chicken processing plants do not lead to increased food safety risks."

The National Pork Producers Council said the removal of maximum line speed limits for establishments operating under the New Swine Inspection System will allow them "to set their own line speeds based on their demonstrated ability to maintain process controls and food safety, rather than adhering to a strict maximum speed limit."

"Greater efficiency of increased line speeds provides financial security and more stability for pork producers. Without the NSIS program, some pork producers could have incurred an additional loss of nearly $10 a head," NPPC said.

The Meat Institute said the proposed rules changes will increase production and innovation, helping to ease prices for consumers and benefiting 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 Julie Anna Potts, president and CEO of the Meat Institute. "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."

LAST RULE OVERTURNED IN COURT

USDA in the first Trump administration finalized eliminating the cap of 1,106 hogs per hour (hph). The United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) sued in a U.S. District Court in Minnesota over the reduction in Food Safety and Inspection Service inspectors in the rule. The court also ruled USDA failed to consider public comments on worker safety when implementing the rule. That effectively rolled back the inspection system back to the 1,106 hph standard.

In 2022, on a trial basis, USDA granted six large plants -- making up 19% of daily hog processing -- the ability to operate at maximum line speeds ranging from 1,206 hph to 1,450 hph. USDA has continued to grant waivers for those plants to continue to operate at higher speeds ever since.

USDA SAFETY STUDIES

In their statements, the National Chicken Council and Meat Institute both cited studies released by USDA at the end of the Biden administration last year, which the industry groups stated, "found no statistically significant associations between line speeds and increased worker safety risk."

The poultry study showed 81% of workers at poultry plants were at greater risk of musculoskeletal disorders but didn't specifically attribute those injuries to higher evisceration rates.

Researchers found the musculoskeletal disorder risk was greater among workers who worked at a higher piece rate, a job-level measure of work pace. Piece rate had little or no association with evisceration line speed, the poultry report stated.

Workers who were surveyed by physicians reported more severe levels of pain.

A substantial proportion of workers who were surveyed reported experiencing moderate to severe levels of work-related pain causing some to have difficulty maintaining the pace of their work or to consider quitting their job. Further, pain interfered with some workers' activities outside of work and resulted in others taking time off from work.

A report on line speeds last year by the group Investigate Midwest also pointed out the studies underrepresented former workers who left processing plants because they could not handle the higher line speeds.

In the pork study, the results were more mixed, showing the higher line speeds and injuries varied by establishment. Increased evisceration line speed increased the risk of worker injury at one establishment, and importantly, increased evisceration line speed also decreased the risk of worker injury at a different establishment. Although simultaneously increasing line speed and reducing MSD risk was possible, it was observed at only one of six establishments.

Still, both the USDA poultry and pork studies recommended meatpackers implement ergonomic programs and monitoring of worker safety if they increase line speeds.

UNIONS WEIGH IN

Stuart Appelbaum, president of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), which represents over 15,000 poultry workers at facilities across mainly southern states, called the increased line speeds at pork and poultry operations, "a recipe for disaster."

"Today's announcement by the USDA is a dangerous step that puts corporate profits over the lives and safety of the essential workers who keep our food supply chain running," Appelbaum said. "By proposing to permanently increase line speeds and remove critical worker safety oversight, the USDA is knowingly inviting a surge in workplace injuries and fatalities in an industry that is already among the most hazardous in the country."

Appelbaum added, "The decision to strip away worker safety under the guise of 'cutting red tape' is nothing more than a blatant attempt to silence the voices of workers and consumers. This isn't about lowering food costs; it's about allowing massive processing corporations to squeeze every last drop of productivity out of human beings regardless of the physical cost."

The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) also noted working at meatpacking plants "is difficult and often dangerous," and the Trump administration's rule endangers workers to boost the bottom lines of major meatpacking companies.

"The USDA studies released just last year confirmed that increasing line speeds increases the risk of harm to workers in poultry and pork plants," said Mark Lauritsen, international vice president for UFCW. "This proposed rule ignores those studies and seemingly any consideration for worker safety. Workers in non-union plants, who don't have walking stewards, safety committees or any contract protections, are especially vulnerable. Removing line speed limits and not having proper staffing opens the door to slower production due to injuries, which will do nothing to lower prices and could instead have the opposite effect."

Lauritsen also said the higher line speeds could cause pork and poultry packers to idle some of their smaller, less modern plants as well. "Uncapping line speeds also raises the possibility of plant closures, which would throw hundreds of people out of work with each closure. Rural communities, where meatpacking plants are often local economic engines, would be especially impacted," he said.

Also see, "Smithfield Foods Announces $1.3 Billion South Dakota Pork Processing Plant Investment," https://www.dtnpf.com/…

Chris Clayton can be reached at Chris.Clayton@dtn.com

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