The Safe Food Coalition submitted the following comments in response to the industry trade group National Chicken Council’s petition to waive line speed restrictions on chicken slaughter plants. Contrary to the industry group’s claims, the available evidence gives little assurance that allowing higher line speeds would not compromise food safety. The Coalition’s comments urge USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service to take a hard look at how line speeds affect food safety, and to tailor reforms to reduce the level of pathogen contamination in chicken.
