Poultry Line Speeds Face Biden Administration Scrutiny (Correct)

A Trump-era USDA proposed regulation that would have permanently increased poultry line speeds will be reviewed by the Biden administration.

Worker safety issues involving line speed increases have been the subject of ongoing litigation and were highlighted during the pandemic, as meatpackers faced the brunt of COVID-19 outbreaks. One study showed up to 8% of the nation’s outbreaks derived from meat-processing facilities.

The Biden administration withdrew a U.S. Department of Agriculture proposed rule on Jan. 22 that would have allowed slaughterhouses to operate lines at 175 birds per minute, up from 140 per minute. Worker-safety advocates warned that faster line ...