Agriculture Department, Food Safety and Inspection Service
FSIS is proposing to amend the regulations to: allow young chicken establishments operating under the New Poultry Inspection System (NPIS) to operate at line speeds up to 175 birds per minute (bpm); increase the maximum line speed prescribed for turkey establishments operating under the NPIS from 55 bpm to 60 bpm; define "maximum line speed" as the time it takes for an inspector to effectively perform online carcass inspection procedures; clarify when FSIS may direct establishments to operate at a reduced line speed; and remove requirements for NPIS establishments to submit to FSIS annual attestations on worker safety programs. The proposed amendments would allow poultry establishments to slaughter birds more efficiently while continuing to ensure food safety and effective online carcass inspection.
Document Headings Document headings vary by document type but may contain the following: the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document the number of the CFR title and the number of each part the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly related to the agency docket number / agency internal file number the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions See the Document Drafting Handbook for more details. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service 9 CFR Part 381 [Docket No. FSIS-2025-0012] RIN 0583-AE01 AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). ACTION: Proposed rule. SUMMARY: FSIS is proposing to amend the regulations to: allow young chicken establishments operating under the New Poultry Inspection System (NPIS) to operate at line speeds up to 175 birds per minute (bpm); increase the maximum line speed prescribed for turkey establishments operating under the NPIS from 55 bpm to 60 bpm; define “maximum line speed” as the time it takes for an inspector to effectively perform online carcass inspection procedures; clarify when FSIS may direct establishments to operate at a reduced line speed; and remove requirements for NPIS establishments to submit to FSIS annual attestations on worker safety programs. The proposed amendments would allow poultry establishments to slaughter birds more efficiently while continuing to ensure food safety and effective online carcass inspection. DATES: Comments must be received on or before April 20, 2026. ADDRESSES: FSIS invites interested persons to submit comments on this proposed rule. Comments may be submitted by one of the following methods: Federal eRulemaking Portal: This website provides the ability to type short comments directly into the comment field on this web page or attach a file for lengthier comments. Go to https://www.regulations.gov . Follow the on-line i…
Citation: 91 FR 7926
