WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National Chicken Council (NCC) yesterday filed comments with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) strongly supporting a proposed rule that would increase the maximum line speed for young chicken processors operating under the New Poultry Inspection System (NPIS) from 140 to 175 birds per minute (bpm).
“This is a science-based rule backed with decades of data that will make chicken more affordable for American families, create jobs in rural communities, and strengthen U.S. global competitiveness — all while maintaining our industry’s commitment to food and worker safety,” said Ashley Peterson, Ph.D., Senior Vice President of Scientific and Regulatory Affairs. “For almost thirty years, rigorous research and real-world data have consistently demonstrated that poultry processors can safely and effectively operate evisceration lines at 175 birds per minute. We applaud Secretary Rollins and FSIS for their common-sense approach and encourage the Agency to move quickly to make this rule final.”
Science and Data Support Higher Line Speeds
NCC’s comments highlight almost three decades of federal research and industry data demonstrating that higher line speeds do not compromise food safety. Since 1997, FSIS’s HACCP-Based Inspection Models Project (HIMP) — and later the NPIS line speed waiver program — have consistently shown that processors operating up to 175 bpm meet or exceed food safety performance standards, including for Salmonella reduction.
FSIS acknowledged in the proposed rule that Salmonella prevalence and other indicators of process control were not significantly increased at establishments operating at higher line speeds compared to those operating at or below 140 bpm. Since NPIS line speed waivers were first approved in 2017, there has been a 9.2 percent decrease in the number of Salmonella illnesses per one million pounds of chicken consumed.
Benefits for Consumers, Farmers, and the Economy
Chicken is the most consumed animal protein in the United States, with per-capita consumption expected to reach 104.3 pounds in 2026. By improving processing efficiency, FSIS estimates the proposed rule could reduce consumer chicken costs by as much as 1.18 to 15.98 percent — a measurable benefit for American families at the grocery store.
The rule will also benefit the thousands of independent family farm operations and contract growers who form the backbone of the American poultry industry. Faster processing throughput allows growers to move more flocks to market, improving farm cash flow and economic stability.
Additionally, because increasing evisceration line speed drives greater output in second processing — where workers trim, debone, and package chicken — higher line speeds are expected to create jobs. Establishments will staff additional workers to handle the increased volume.
Strengthening U.S. Global Competitiveness
The United States is the largest producer and second-largest exporter of poultry meat in the world, with between 13 and 17 percent of U.S. chicken exported annually at a value exceeding $4 billion per year. Yet the U.S. has some of the most restrictive line speed requirements in the global market. Major competitors, including the European Union, the United Kingdom, and Canada, have eliminated mandatory line speed caps while maintaining food safety. The proposed rule takes an important step toward leveling the playing field.
Worker Safety Remains a Top Priority
NCC’s comments emphasize that the broiler industry’s worker safety record has never been stronger. The total recordable illness and injury rate for poultry processing in 2024 was 2.4 cases per 100 full-time workers — a 90 percent decline since 1994 and well below the broader food manufacturing sector rate of 3.3. Furthermore, FSIS’s own PULSE study, published in January 2025, concluded that an increase in evisceration line speed was not correlated with an increased risk of musculoskeletal disorders.
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