Source: Chris Scott, MEATINGPLACE, 8/30/17


Forty groups representing the public health, consumer protection, labor, employer and civil rights sectors are asking USDA chief Sonny Perdue to oppose any increase in line speeds at U.S. poultry plants.

In a letter to Perdue sent earlier this month, the organizations say the current rate of 140 birds per minute already exposes poultry line workers to serious risk of injury. The groups also expressed alarm about a proposal from a Georgia congressman requesting that the speed be increased by 25 percent to 175 birds per minute.

The letter notes three independent studies – including one from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and two from the National Institute for Occupational Safety (NIOSH) – that show a link between faster bird processing speeds and injury rates among workers.

The United Food & Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), which also signed the letter to Perdue, told Meatingplace in an email “increasing line speeds would be reckless and dangerous. The best way to guarantee safe food is to have safe workers.”

To read the letter, click here.

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