OM in the News: How Many Hogs Can Be Safely Slaughtered Per Hour?

Headlines this past week have touted the benefits to global sustainability of eating more vegetables and less meat. But the demand for pork seems to keep increasing. “The federal government is poised this month to adopt a rule that would essentially turn the largest pork processing lines in the U.S.into the autobahn: no speed limit”‘ writes The New York Times (Aug. 9, 2019).

Currently, plants are allowed to slaughter a maximum of 1,106 hogs per hour. As hogs move down the slaughter lines, U.S. inspectors stationed at each plant examine them and remove any part potentially harmful to consumers. But pork producers have pushed for a change to inspection regulations that would do away with the speed limit and reduce the number of federal inspectors. For those in favor of the change, the advantages are clear. Plants would be able to slaughter more pigs and, therefore, make more money. The government would save money because it would not employ as many inspectors.

The U.S. currently assigns 7 inspectors at various points along the slaughter lines at pork plants, who look at, examine and sniff carcasses for signs of disease and contamination. In the new model, 2-3 federal inspectors per shift would be on the lines, overseeing plant employees who would take over time-consuming labor like removing lymph nodes to test for disease. Two others would perform other tasks like sanitation checks.

As for whether faster lines are more dangerous for workers, the Food Safety and Inspection Service said that was not in its jurisdiction. Line speeds, it said, were historically determined by the ability of federal inspectors to examine and evaluate the meat. The issue of worker safety, it said, falls to the OSHA.  There is no national database where all packing houses report injuries and accidents. (There have been five amputations or other severe injuries at a pork processing facility in Beardstown, Ill. since 2015).C

Classroom discussion questions:

1. What are the operations issues involved in this case?
2. Discuss the worker safety tradeoffs.