Jill Mauer

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 slaughterhouses. While some meat inspectors have chosen to report their concerns anonymously, Jill brought her story to national attention. 

High-speed/reduced inspection models have been in a pilot phase for almost twenty years. Jill’s pork plant was one of the first pilot pork processing plants. Jill knew she had to come forward to express her concerns about the pilot after routinely witnessing public health concerns at her plant. After exhausting internal efforts to report problems, Jill sought help from FIC. 

For Jill, the decision to come forward was truly “a matter of life and death.” A mother of two herself, Jill is deeply concerned about the proliferation of plants opting for high-speed/reduced inspection models. Jill, having witnessed the pilot slaughter program first-hand (PDF), believes the high-speed inspection model will result in lower quality meat products that could potentially sicken consumers. 

In 2019 the USDA announced the New Swine Inspection System (NSIS) that would essentially nationalize the high-speed slaughter pilot. Jill took to action, and with the help of FIC, told her story to the world.  Jill is currently a whistleblower client. We support her courageous truth-telling and applaud her unwavering commitment to public service.