Source: POLITICO'S MORNING AGRICULTURE, 10/8/19

The department last month published its final rule to overhaul the hog slaughterhouse inspection system, eliminating limits on processing line speeds and shifting certain inspection tasks from federal employees to plant workers. Now a coalition of advocacy groups are going to court to halt the regulation.

In a lawsuit filed Monday in a U.S. District Court, the United Food and Commercial Workers union and Public Citizen argue that USDA violated federal guidelines by failing to address concerns from public commenters during the rulemaking process. Critics have long warned that lifting the cap on line speeds — 1,106 hogs per hour — will put meatpacking workers in danger and potentially undermine food safety.

"Increasing pork plant line speeds is not only a reckless giveaway to giant corporations, it will put thousands of workers in harm's way," UFCW International President Marc Perrone said in a statement.

The department has said the rule will save millions of taxpayer dollars, allow inspectors to conduct more crucial food safety checks and let meatpackers set their own line speeds "based on their ability to maintain process control." The Food Safety Inspection Service predicted that about 40 facilities would adopt the new system. An FSIS spokesperson declined to comment on pending litigation.