Director, Regulations Development Staff

0583-AE01 202510 The Regulatory Plan and the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions 0583 Food Safety and Inspection Service FSIS 0500 Department of Agriculture USDA Maximum Line Speed Rates for Young Chicken and Turkey Establishments Operating Under the New Poultry Inspection System

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is proposing to amend the regulations that prescribe the maximum line speed rates under the New Poultry Inspection System (NPIS) to allow NPIS young chicken and turkey establishments to operate at more efficient line speeds.

]]> Economically Significant Previously Published in The Unified Agenda Proposed Rule Stage Yes No Deregulatory 9 CFR part 381 21 U.S.C. 451, et. seq. Yes

This proposed rule is needed to give poultry slaughter establishments the ability to operate under inspection systems and at line speeds that would allow them slaughter birds more efficiently without the need for a regulatory waiver while continuing to ensure food safety and effective FSIS online carcass inspection.

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FSIS has been delegated the authority to exercise the functions of the Secretary (7 CFR 2.18, 2.53), as specified in the Poultry Products Inspection Act (21 U.S.C 451 et seq.). This statute mandates that FSIS protect the public by verifying that poultry products are safe, wholesome, unadulterated, and properly labeled and packaged. The PPIA also requires, among other things, that [t]he Secretary [of Agriculture], whenever processing operations are being conducted, shall cause to be made by inspectors postmortem inspection of the carcasses of each bird processed (21 U.S.C. 455(b)). The PPIA provides that the Secretary shall promulgate such other rules and regulations as are necessary to carry out the provisions of the statutes (21 U.S.C. 463(b)).

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FSIS may consider alternatives during the development of the proposed rule.

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Overall, this proposed rule would benefit establishments that slaughter poultry, other than ratites, by ending the need for certain waivers. The proposed rule would allow certain poultry establishments to increase efficiency and decrease production costs by eliminating unnecessary barriers efficiency while maintaining or even improving food safety.

Allowing additional NPIS young chicken and young turkey establishments to operate at more efficient line speeds would likely result in cost savings through reducing their production costs by using resources more efficiently and optimizing their production process. Further, allowing non-NPIS establishments that slaughter poultry classes other than ratites to operate under NPIS or SIS would give industry additional flexibility to choose the inspection system that is best suited for their operations.

If NPIS establishments currently operating without a line speed waiver choose to increase their line speeds, they would likely incur costs associated with hiring additional labor, training, and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan reassessment. An establishment would only incur these costs if the benefits outweigh the costs, since the choice to operate at increased line speeds is a voluntary business decision.

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If the Agency does not proceed with the proposed poultry line speed rule, establishments may continue to be unable to operate at full capacity. This could limit the number of birds processed each day, slow production, and create inefficiencies across the supply chain. Without a clear regulatory framework to increase line speeds, establishments may delay investments in modernization and may not operate under NPIS, which could reduce productivity, make it harder for the industry to respond to market demand, and increase Agency costs.

]]> NPRM 02/19/2026 91 FR 7926 NPRM Comment Period End 04/20/2026 No No None No No No No Melissa Hammar Director, Regulations Development Staff 0583 Food Safety and Inspection Service FSIS 202 286-2255 melissa.hammar@usda.gov 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington DC 20250