Food Safety Full speed ahead Proposed poultry inspection changes could fulfill the need for speed BY RICHARD LOBB meatpoultry@sosland.com L ater this year, the poultry processing industry will achieve “As new research expands our ability to respond to food-safety issues, it is essential that we embrace new inspect ion approaches t hat working with them as they fi nalize the rule and implement this new approach.” Dubbed the New Poultry Inspection System (NPIS), the program was announced by the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service in January and was followed by a 90day comment period. USDA will take stock of t he comments and make any revisions it feels necessary before publishing the program in fi nal form. “The modernization plan will protect public health, improve the efficiency of poultry inspections in the US and reduce spending,” some of its long-sought goals: getting federal inspectors all but off its first-level processing lines and running the lines at higher speeds, which should translate into greater product ivity and prof it. In exchange, companies will have to conduct Hodges “It isn’t just a matter of cranking up the line speed, they will need to install new systems.” keep pace with that knowledge,” American Meat Institute Executive Vice President James Hodges said. “We commend USDA for embracing science and we look forward to microbiological test- ing programs for raw chickens and turkeys and share the data with the federal government. The industry is welcoming the new regime. 36 • Meat&Poultry • April 2012 • www.MeatPoultry.comhttp://www.MeatPoultry.com