A-two year-old federal lawsuit brought by three non-governmental organizations claims USDA’s New Swine Inspection System undermines federal inspectors charged with protecting consumers from foodborne illness.

A federal judge in California has found “the matter suitable for disposition without oral argument.”

The Center for Food Safety, Food & Water Watch, and
Continue Reading For now, only written arguments will be allowed to decide case on new swine inspection system

For the past quarter-century, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has run two options for inspecting hogs. The HACCP-based Inspection Model Project or HIMP evolved into the New Swine   Inspection System or NSIS pilot in 2014. And HIMP, or NSIS,  have grown up alongside traditional hog inspection protocols used for
Continue Reading Dueling inspection systems produce another round of competing data

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) report on USDA’s recent rulemaking for the Modernization of Swine Slaughter Inspection did not find much to concern USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).

“We determined whether FSIS,” the OIG report says, “with respect to its worker safety analysis section of the proposed
Continue Reading FSIS gains some in push back with OIG over process audit for new swine slaughter rule

The USDA has until Friday to submit final written arguments in a federal court in New York for dismissing a third challenge to the New Swine Inspection System (NSIS).

Federal courts in Minnesota and California are also considering similar challenges to the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) new
Continue Reading A third federal district court is mulling over the New Swine Inspection System

The USDA by April 15 will ask a federal court in California to dismiss a second lawsuit filed to overturn the Food Safety and Inspection Service’s (FSIS’s) new inspection system for market hogs. USDA earlier asked a federal court in Minnesota to toss a similar civil action.

In Minnesota, a
Continue Reading Federal court in California will hear oral arguments in USDA motion to dismiss swine lawsuit

Opinion

Dear Editor,

I am submitting this letter in response to Dan Flynn’s earlier piece regarding pork inspection line speeds.

The federal government’s decision to put pork producers in charge of their own food safety inspections — while letting them set the line speeds that inspection workers must follow —
Continue Reading Letter to the Editor: USDA move to outsource inspections is recipe for disaster