The United States Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has emerged victorious in a legal battle concerning the New Swine Inspection System (NSIS), implemented in 2019. The NSIS, which introduced several changes to pork processing protocols, including trials of increased line speeds, faced a legal challenge from groups including the Animal Legal Defense Fund and the Center for Biological Diversity.
These groups argued that the NSIS would lead to the majority of pigs in the U.S. being slaughtered at unregulated speeds with limited federal oversight, raising concerns about animal welfare, consumer health and safety, and environmental implications.
However, the United States District Court in the Western District of New York ruled in favour of the USDA, decisively dismissing the plaintiffs’ case. The court’s judgement stated that the extensive record more than adequately supports the shift from the traditional inspection system to the NSIS. It highlighted that the FSIS has demonstrated a comprehensive understanding of the change and provided substantial reasons for the new policy.
The court concluded that the plaintiffs had a substantial burden to prove their case, which they failed to meet. It was noted that the defendants had thoroughly considered the relevant evidence, assessed the necessary factors, and articulated a convincing explanation for adopting the NSIS.
On a related note, the FSIS has recently extended the trial period for the NSIS line speeds. Concurrently, a group of 20 members of Congress is advocating for these increased line speeds to become a permanent fixture.
