USDA amends swine slaughter inspection rule after 50 years

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced changes to swine slaughter inspection for the first time in half a century.

As per the new changes, microbial testing will be required for swine slaughterhouses in the country to ensure pathogens are controlled across the slaughter system.

Additionally, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has amended its meat inspection regulations with the introduction of an inspection system called new swine slaughter inspection system (NSIS) for market hog establishments.

USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue said: “This regulatory change allows us to ensure food safety while eliminating outdated rules and allowing for companies to innovate.

“The final rule is the culmination of a science-based and data-driven rulemaking process which builds on the food safety improvements made in 1997 when USDA introduced a system of preventive controls for industry.

“With this rule, FSIS will finally begin full implementation of that program in swine establishments.”

According to the final rule, all swine slaughter establishments will have to create written sanitary dressing plans and implement microbial sampling to monitor process control for pathogens that can cause foodborne illness.

The new rule also offers the option to hog establishments to operate under NSIS or continue to operate under traditional inspection.

FSIS noted that it will inspect animals before slaughter and also continue its 100% carcass-by-carcass inspection.

It further added that FSIS inspectors have the authority to halt or slow down the production process if required to ensure food safety.

In July 2018, USDA FSIS awarded a contract to 3M Food Safety for the provision of pathogen detection instruments and kits.

Under this contract, USDA’s FSIS began leveraging 3M’s molecular detection system as a primary method of identifying three major pathogenic organisms, namely Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes and E coli O157 (including H7), which are considered to be a considerable threat to the safety of meat, poultry and egg-related products.