Proposal could provide the agri-food industry with the chance to innovate and streamline production
By Kaitlynn Anderson
Staff Reporter
Farms.com
Swine processors across the country may have further opportunities for innovation in their operations in the near future.
On Friday, the USDA announced a proposal to create a modernized inspection system for hogs, according to a government release.
The federal government would like to amend the current meat inspection regulations to include two new components, according to the USDA.
The first component, which would be optional, is a New Swine Slaughter Inspection System (NSIS).
The NSIS would allow workers to process market hogs in a more efficient and effective manner, as establishments that opt-in would see more offline USDA inspection tasks. This addition would “place inspectors in areas of the production process where they can perform critical tasks that have direct impacts on food safety,” the release stated.
The government proposal also includes a component requiring all swine slaughter establishments —not just those that process market hogs — to implement procedures to prevent pathogens from contaminating food.
These proposed rules would provide the industry with opportunities to innovate and streamline food production, Carmen Rottenberg, acting deputy undersecretary for food safety, said in the release.
“There is no single technology or process to address the problem of foodborne illness, but when we focus our inspections on food safety-related tasks, we better protect American families,” she said.
Once the government places the proposal in the Federal Register, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) will hold a comment period for 60 days.
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