Consumer, food safety, worker safety, animal welfare and public health organizations submitted the following letter asking the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to withdraw a new proposed swine slaughter rule until the agency is prepared to follow its own procedures for vetting the risks and benefits associated with the proposal. The proposal relies heavily on a risk assessment performed by USDA Food Safety and Inspection (FSIS) personnel. However, federal rules require an external peer review of risk assessments conducted by FSIS and other agencies, particularly when they support rulemaking, and the agency is only now starting the peer review process. Because a peer review can recommend changes to the agency’s assessment and conclusions, soliciting comment on the proposed rule before the peer review results are available makes little sense. The letter urges USDA to either withdraw the rule or extend the comment period until the risk assessment has been peer reviewed and the public has had adequate time to review and comment on it.  The groups are also requesting the agency hold public meetings to allow the public to voice their concerns regarding the proposed rule’s impact on food safety, worker safety, and animal welfare.

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