Statement from Center for Food Safety and Food & Water Watch Regarding USDA's Dangerous Slaughterhouse Self-Inspection Program

Today, a federal judge ruled against advocates for safer meat processing in a case brought by Food & Water Watch and Center for Food Safety regarding implementation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)'s New Swine Inspection System (NSIS). Center for Food Safety, et al. v. Sonny Perdue, No.4:20-cv-00256-JSW (N.D. Cal). The Trump administration rule greatly undermines the ability of federal inspectors to protect consumers from foodborne illnesses by fully inspecting hog carcasses, and instead allows plant employees with little training to take over several steps.

"Because the Court failed to condemn these Trump-era reductions in safety measures for hog slaughter, we can only hope we don't see more foodborne illness or even further pandemics that should be protected by our federal meat processing law," said Amy van Saun, senior attorney with plaintiff Center for Food Safety. "We are exploring all options and will keep fighting the corporate-controlled meat industry to protect public safety and a healthy food supply."

The NSIS program relies in large part on meat company employees conducting inspections instead of government inspectors, a radical departure from long-established practice. Despite raising significant dangers to public health from replacing federal inspectors with plant employees (trained and employed by the slaughterhouses), the federal court dismissed the concerns and agreed with USDA that the federal inspection required by Congress would still take place. The industry push for 'self-regulation' goes back decades, and in the 1990s the USDA began moving in that direction. Since the government projects widespread adoption of the NSIS rules (plants producing over 90 percent of the U.S. pork supply), these policies will greatly impact consumers.

"We are disappointed that the court upheld USDA's dangerous rules, allowing profit-driven meat companies to ramp up line speeds and police their own slaughterhouses, putting both workers and consumers at risk in the process. While USDA continues to let the fox guard the henhouse, Food & Water Watch will keep working to hold Big Ag accountable for its harms to frontline workers, consumers, animals, and the environment," said Tarah Heinzen, legal director of Food & Water Watch.