New York Assembly Bill A10399 and Senate Bill S8291 propose to indefinitely ban the operation of markets that sell freshly slaughtered animals, sometimes referred to as wet markets. The legislation also proposes the formation of a task force to address public health and animal welfare concerns of slaughterhouses.
New York Considers Shutting Down Live Animal Markets
USDA Issues Additional Regulatory Waivers Amid COVID-19 Crisis
The Food Safety Inspection System has issued at least seven new regulatory waivers this year, allowing slaughterhouses to increase line speeds and self-police, rather than being subject to the review of federal inspectors.
Groups Sue USDA Over Chicken Slaughter Speed
The Humane Society of the United States, Animal Outlook, Mercy for Animals, Government Accountability Project, and Marin Humane have filed suit against the United States Department of Agriculture, alleging that the agency’s decision to increase allowable slaughter speeds in some chicken slaughterhouses to 175 animals per minute violates the Poultry Products Inspection Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, and the Administrative Procedure Act.
Food Inspectors Warn Against New Swine Slaughter Inspection System
Food Safety and Inspection Service workers have spoken out against the new system, warning that reduced inspection and increased line speeds could expose consumers to unsafe products.
Union Sues to Stop Pig Slaughter Line Speed Rule
USDA Finalizes High-Speed Pig Slaughter Rule
The finalized rule allows for reduced inspection of pig slaughter lines and revoking maximum slaughter line speeds.
USDA Finalizes High-Speed Slaughter Rule
The USDA finalized a rule revoking maximum line speeds at slaughterhouses for pigs, calling the move a “modernization” and that the new rule would “improve animal welfare . . . because more FSIS resources will be available to verify the humane handling of animals.” Under the new rule, a maximum line speed may be established on a case-by-case basis as directed by the Inspector-In-Charge at that plant when, in the Inspector’s judgment, “a carcass-by-carcass inspection cannot be adequately performed.”