Democratic Lawmakers Push USDA to Maintain Meat-Processing Line Speed Limits

Democratic Lawmakers Call for USDA Action

A group of Democratic lawmakers, led by Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), sent a letter on April 30 to U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) Under Secretary Mindy Brashears, urging the agency to abandon proposals to permanently raise line speed limits at some poultry-processing facilities and remove maximum speeds for certain pork processors, according to Safety+Health Magazine. The lawmakers, which also include Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Reps. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) and Ilhan Omar (D-MN), stated that line speed limits are essential for protecting workers and ensuring food safety, and that increasing these limits without additional safeguards would heighten risks for employees.

Details of the Lawmakers’ Letter

In the letter, the group highlighted that meatpacking and poultry workers perform repetitive, forceful tasks with knives and saws in crowded, noisy, and wet environments, often in extreme temperatures, putting them at high risk of serious musculoskeletal disorders of the hand, wrist, and shoulder; amputations; injuries from slipping; and hearing loss. They referenced studies indicating that these conditions contribute to workers’ overall risk, as FSIS itself concluded in January 2025 studies that increased line speeds combine with other factors to affect employee safety. This push comes in response to FSIS proposals published on February 19, which accepted comments through April 20 and would allow certain facilities to operate without these limits.

FSIS Proposals Under Scrutiny

The FSIS pork-processing proposal would permit establishments under the New Swine Inspection System to eliminate the current maximum line speed of 1,106 hogs per hour, letting them set speeds based on their ability to maintain process control and comply with food safety requirements. For poultry, the proposed rule would allow facilities under the New Poultry Inspection System to permanently increase line speeds to up to 175 birds per minute for chickens (from 140) and 60 birds per minute for turkeys (from 55), according to Safety+Health Magazine. Additionally, the rule would remove the requirement for establishments to submit annual worker safety data to FSIS, a change announced by Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins in March 2025 as part of efforts to formalize faster line speeds previously tested.

Worker Safety and Regulatory Context

FSIS based its proposals on separate studies completed in January 2025, which found that while increased line speeds are not the primary factor in worker musculoskeletal risk, they contribute alongside other workplace hazards. It is widely known that the meat processing industry involves high-risk ergonomic challenges, such as repetitive motions, which can exacerbate injury rates; in this context, the lawmakers’ letter emphasizes maintaining current limits to address these issues. Topics related to this include ergonomics, federal agencies, hazards, musculoskeletal disorders, and regulations, as covered in the source material.