Swordsmyth
09-27-2019, 12:37 AM
A new rule approved on September 17 by US president Donald Trump deregulates part of the process that makes sure the nation’s pork supply is safe to eat—reducing oversight and relying more heavily on the industry to monitor itself.
To understand the changes (https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/72fa69e6-5e16-4347-83b4-4e3361317272/2016-0017+.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&useDefaultText=0&useDefaultDesc=0) (pdf), imagine the inside of a slaughter facility. The animals are killed and then broken into parts. Those parts then go down a mechanical line, where trained government inspectors are charged with looking at each one as it passes by, hopefully catching any defects or abnormalities. If they spot something suspicious, the carcass is removed and it won’t go to market. The lines generally move pretty quickly, but regulations cap their speed at 1,106 hogs per hour (3.5 seconds for every 250-pound pig). That’s a lot to keep track of, so the US Department of Agriculture assigns multiple inspectors to the task.
Really big plants commonly have seven government inspectors working the hog line. One looks at the whole pig carcass, three look at the heads, and the last three are looking at everything else.
So here’s what the Trump administration is changing, starting in November:
Hog slaughter plants can now opt into a new system in which they can hire their own people to replace some—but not all—federal inspectors.
There is no longer a cap on line speeds. Companies can set them as they see fit.
For its part, the pork industry is thrilled (https://www.meatinstitute.org/ht/display/ReleaseDetails/i/159447). They claim they have every incentive to ensure only safe meat gets to the market, and that technological advances used to test meat for pathogens will keep bad meat from getting into consumer hands.
“The US pork production system is the envy of the world because we continuously adopt new practices and technologies, while enhancing safety, quality and consistency,” the National Pork Producers Council said in a statement (http://nppc.org/nppc-welcomes-new-swine-inspection-system-reflecting-a-21st-century-industry/).
In other words, the way we inspect food is changing, and new technology is the answer to a system that’s outdated. The outdated aspect is true.The USDA has kept the total number of meat inspectors (which includes those monitoring beef and chicken) at about 7,800 since 1980, even as per capita meat consumption has gone up from 193.7 pounds to 219.5 pounds.
More at: https://qz.com/1716113/trump-gives-pork-industry-a-path-to-regulate-itself/
To understand the changes (https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/72fa69e6-5e16-4347-83b4-4e3361317272/2016-0017+.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&useDefaultText=0&useDefaultDesc=0) (pdf), imagine the inside of a slaughter facility. The animals are killed and then broken into parts. Those parts then go down a mechanical line, where trained government inspectors are charged with looking at each one as it passes by, hopefully catching any defects or abnormalities. If they spot something suspicious, the carcass is removed and it won’t go to market. The lines generally move pretty quickly, but regulations cap their speed at 1,106 hogs per hour (3.5 seconds for every 250-pound pig). That’s a lot to keep track of, so the US Department of Agriculture assigns multiple inspectors to the task.
Really big plants commonly have seven government inspectors working the hog line. One looks at the whole pig carcass, three look at the heads, and the last three are looking at everything else.
So here’s what the Trump administration is changing, starting in November:
Hog slaughter plants can now opt into a new system in which they can hire their own people to replace some—but not all—federal inspectors.
There is no longer a cap on line speeds. Companies can set them as they see fit.
For its part, the pork industry is thrilled (https://www.meatinstitute.org/ht/display/ReleaseDetails/i/159447). They claim they have every incentive to ensure only safe meat gets to the market, and that technological advances used to test meat for pathogens will keep bad meat from getting into consumer hands.
“The US pork production system is the envy of the world because we continuously adopt new practices and technologies, while enhancing safety, quality and consistency,” the National Pork Producers Council said in a statement (http://nppc.org/nppc-welcomes-new-swine-inspection-system-reflecting-a-21st-century-industry/).
In other words, the way we inspect food is changing, and new technology is the answer to a system that’s outdated. The outdated aspect is true.The USDA has kept the total number of meat inspectors (which includes those monitoring beef and chicken) at about 7,800 since 1980, even as per capita meat consumption has gone up from 193.7 pounds to 219.5 pounds.
More at: https://qz.com/1716113/trump-gives-pork-industry-a-path-to-regulate-itself/