Enlistments in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s New Poultry Inspection System (NPIS) will likely increase in the new year after the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on Dec. 21 tossed a legal challenge to the program. The optional NPIS offers the biggest change in poultry inspection since the Eisenhower Administration. USDA’s Food Safety…
The Expanding Role of HACCP
The food safety management system known as HACCP has come a long way since its development for the American space program. It has become an integral part of the country’s entire food safety system. “HACCP has had the biggest impact on ensuring the safety of food ever since it was implemented,” says Jenny Scott, senior…
Savings From a Single Food Safety Agency Appeal to Some House Republicans
Some House Republicans appear to be considering proposals for a single food safety agency. In January, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced bills to establish such an agency independent of any federal department. In his budget proposal for fiscal year 2016, President Obama proposed the consolidation of the Agriculture Department’s…
What U.S. Can Learn From Other Countries About Meat, Poultry Inspection
As the new Modernization of Poultry Inspection rule went into effect Monday, the Pew Charitable Trusts and Center for Science in the Public Interest released their review of global meat and poultry inspection systems. They recommended that U.S. policymakers begin a broader, data-driven effort to update the Department of Agriculture’s inspection system. Traditional slaughter inspection…
15 Members of Congress Ask Vilsack For More Answers on Poultry Inspection Rule
Fifteen members of Congress sent a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack on Friday with questions about the New Poultry Inspection System (NPIS). The members — including Reps. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Louise Slaughter (D-NY) — wrote that they are “extremely disappointed” that the agency didn’t address their concerns about the rule, adding that…
Food & Water Watch Sues USDA Over New Poultry Inspection Rule
Food & Water Watch (FWW) filed a lawsuit against the Department of Agriculture on Thursday that would stop the implementation of the agency’s New Poultry Inspection System (NPIS). The new poultry inspection rule, announced July 31, requires additional microbiological testing at all poultry processing facilities and introduces a fifth inspection system available for U.S.…
Reactions Vary to USDA’s Poultry Inspection Rule
The U.S. Department of Agriculture published the final rule of its Modernization of Poultry Slaughter Inspection on Thursday, requiring all poultry processing plants to engage in additional microbiological testing and establishing the New Poultry Inspection System (NPIS), which companies can choose to opt into or not. Predictably, the agency’s move drew reactions from across the…
FSIS Poultry Rule Requires More Pathogen Testing, Introduces Voluntary Inspection System
The new poultry inspection rule announced today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires additional microbiological testing at all poultry processing facilities and introduces a fifth inspection system available for U.S. plants to voluntarily adopt. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack called the rule a “longstanding effort” to “modernize our system” and said the agency is confident…