Tell the USDA to abandon its dangerous rule on slaughter plant line speeds!  

The Department of Agriculture is accepting public comments on a plan to allow many pork and poultry facilities to increase the speed for slaughtering pigs, chickens, turkeys and other birds. 

The agency already permits reckless line speeds of slaughtering 1,106 hogs per hour and 140 birds per minute, but the meat industry, in its relentless pursuit of profit, wants to be able to kill even more animals. When it comes to animal welfare, the rule change would make large-scale slaughter crueler than ever. This change would also harm slaughter plant workers, as increased line speeds pose grave health and safety threats for them along with punishing psychological stress associated with endless hours on the fast-moving kill line.  

Accelerated line speeds may endanger consumers too, creating the potential for food safety failures as workers face substantial challenges that hamper their ability to perform their jobs effectively, and veterinary inspectors have less time to examine animal carcasses to ensure that they are safe for human consumption. 

Please join us in encouraging the USDA not to sacrifice animal welfare, worker safety and public health in the service of meat industry profits!