The USDA is inviting existing New Swine Inspection System or NSIS pork processing plants to apply for a one-year pilot program that will allow them to increase line speeds. Earlier this year a Minnesota Court threw out the NSIS line speeds at five pilot plants. Nebraska Pork Producer’s Association Executive Director Al Juhnke says the NSIS practices have been part of a testing project for 20 years and those pilot plants all assured worker safety and that is a requirement of the new USDA program.

He says in the 20 years the USDA’s NSIS line speed pilot has been operating at a handful of plants they’ve documented that there were no problems with worker safety.

During the new trial, the plants must implement practices that protect food safety and worker safety. Those must be approved by the plant’s workers’ union or worker safety committee.

Data collected from the participating processors on the impacts of line speeds will be shared with OSHA and could be used with future rulemaking.