Protecting Food. Empowering Whistleblowers.
Protecting Food. Empowering Whistleblowers.
Food Integrity Campaign has been challenging high speed slaughter inspection since 2014. Originally, FIC and its coalition partners spoke out against the USDA’s proposed nationalization of its pilot program in poultry (HIMP). The expansion of the pilot program (New Poultry Inspection System) increases line speeds to 175 birds per minute giving meat inspectors only 1/3 of a second to inspect a carcass! It also gives duties, once belonging to federal inspectors, to plant workers themselves who feel unsafe speaking out against their employers. FIC received numerous concerns from USDA inspectors about the dangerous conditions in the HIMP pilot plants and their concerns that the program would expand and put consumers and plant workers at risk. You can read some of these concerns here.
FIC is currently fighting the increased poultry line speeds in court.
Not surprisingly, after pushing for faster poultry line speeds, the USDA also attempted to increase line speeds in pork. Whistleblowers who work in the pilot pork inspection programs warn about faster line speeds, fewer inspectors, worse conditions for workers, and unnecessary harm to pigs—not to mention the gross things that find their way into your food.
FIC represents Jill Mauer, a meat inspector who is speaking out against increased pork line speeds.
Full Story
Jill Mauer is one among many meat inspectors who have come to FIC to express concerns about the USDA’s plans to increase line speeds in slaughter houses. While some meat inspectors have chosen to report their concerns anonymously, Jill brought her story to national attention.
Jill’s Story »You can download the affidavits (which have the full backing of GAP) by clicking on the following PDF links.
Affidavit – High Speed Hog #4, Joe Ferguson Affidavit – High Speed Hog #1 Affidavit – High Speed Hog #2 Affidavit – High Speed Hog #3
🔎 🥩 This panel of the FIC10 Conference, dubbed “Fast Food,” emphasized how the so-called efficiency of USDA’s increased line speeds at pork and poultry plants comes at a cost to workers, animals, and the consumer. Former USDA meat inspector Phyllis McKelvey declared, “There’s no way any human being or machine can catch everything” at the new line speeds. FIC adds to Phyllis’ comment and suggests that not only are these speeds not humanly possible, they are not humanely possible either. 👎
We eat meat, yet we want to minimize cruelty to animals. This is an uncertain, inconsistent and perhaps hypocritical path, and it’s hard enough without giant food companies manipulating us — in collusion with our own government.
—–NICHOLAS KRISTOF, New York Times
