Dear Friend,
Three chickens per second.
Under a new plan proposed by USDA, that's how fast inspectors would have to conduct quality control inspections in poultry
factories — six times the current rate.
Worse, USDA's proposed rules privatize these inspections, letting the industry police itself by replacing highly trained
USDA food inspectors with poultry facility employees who have no required training.1
Salmonella in our meat and poultry makes nearly a million people sick every year in the US — it's our number one cause
of food-borne illness. USDA's new plan could make the problem even worse, and we have just days to stop it.
Food safety groups are opposing the standards and veteran poultry inspectors are calling them "a big step back," and "a very,
very bad idea."2
Current rules provide for three inspectors to examine 140 birds per minute. Under the new rules, inspections would speed
up to 200 per minute — with only one inspector on the line. Even the professionals say that is way too fast.
With far less time to inspect each chicken, unsanitary, defective poultry meat has a higher chance of making it into our
supermarkets. And while USDA says it would save less than $30 million per year on poultry inspection costs, it could
cost the agency (and us) far more to deal with potential increases in foodborne illness.
Speeding up the poultry line isn't just hazardous to our health — it's also hazardous to those who work in poultry
factories. Poultry workers already have an alarming rate of workplace injury from conditions which include a workplace
full sharp objects like knives and scissors, and from the repetitive nature of poultry factory tasks. Speeding up the chicken
line will only make conditions even more hazardous.3
But while food and worker safety will undoubtedly suffer, the new rules are expected to result in a quarter of a billion
dollar windfall to poultry companies.
The safety of our food, especially poultry which has such a high incidence of contamination, should be the highest priority
of USDA. If their answer is less quality control inspection, more dangerous workplace conditions, and allowing an industry
with a horrible safety record to police itself, it's probably time to go back to the drawing board.
Click below to submit a comment to the USDA before the May 29th deadline:
http://act.credoaction.com/r/?
http://act.credoaction.com/r/?
Thank you for fighting for safe and healthy food.
Elijah Zarlin, Campaign Manager
CREDO Action from Working Assets
CREDO Action from Working Assets
1. "Poultry Inspectors Protest Inspection Proposal
at USDA," Food Saftey News, April 3, 2012
2. Privatized Meat Inspection Experiment Jeopardizes Food Safety," Food and Water Watch, March 7, 2012
3. Civil rights group: Stop speedup in poultry plants!," People's World, May 10, 2012
2. Privatized Meat Inspection Experiment Jeopardizes Food Safety," Food and Water Watch, March 7, 2012
3. Civil rights group: Stop speedup in poultry plants!," People's World, May 10, 2012
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