Please leave this field empty
Donate Monthly Make a Gift Renew Your Membership Ways to Give
Food & Water Watch Food & Water Watch Food & Water Watch
  • About
  • Problems
  • Campaigns
  • Impacts
  • Research
  • Contact
Donate Monthly Make a Gift Renew Your Membership Ways to Give
  • facebook
  • twitter
Please leave this field empty
Food & Water Watch Food & Water Watch
$
Menu
  • About
  • News
  • Research Library
  • Contact
  • Careers
  • Donate
Search
Please leave this field empty
  • facebook
  • twitter

What is USDA Hiding About Its Privatized Poultry Inspection System?

For the USDA to deny the public information about their new poultry inspection system adds insult to injury.

  • facebook
  • twitter
  • google-plus
  • envelope

We all need safe food and clean water.

Donate
05.14.15

Statement of Food & Water Watch Executive Director Wenonah Hauter

Washington, D.C.—“Yesterday, Food & Water Watch received word from USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) that the agency has denied our Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for information on which poultry slaughter plants intend to adopt the New Poultry Inspection System in their establishments.

“We made this request at the suggestion of the Department of Justice after one of its attorneys remarked in a hearing on our lawsuit to block the implementation of the New Poultry Inspection System (NPIS) that consumers could find out through FOIA which establishments were using this controversial self-inspection program. The denial of our FOIA request further underscores the fact that the NPIS inspection system is a complete farce.

“The New Poultry Inspection System would turn over key food safety inspection functions to poultry companies. USDA inspectors would have limited oversight over critical food safety inspection functions. These rules essentially privatize poultry inspection and pave the way for others in the meat industry to police themselves, a move that would undermine food safety.

“Consumers will have good reason not trust the safety of products coming from plants using the NPIS system because company employees, rather than USDA inspectors, would perform key inspection tasks. These concerned consumers will have very little way of knowing which products came from these plants if the USDA does not disclose this information. In court, the government’s attorney suggested that these consumers could use FOIA to find out which establishments used NPIS. So why is USDA denying such a request?

“The NPIS self-inspection system will harm consumers and reverse 100 years of effective government regulation of the meat industry. Denying the public any information about which products will come from this system adds insult to injury.”

Contact: Kate Fried, Food & Water Watch, (202) 683-4905, kfried(at)fwwatch(dot)org.

Related Downloads

  • FOIA Rejection on New Poultry Information System from USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service

    FOIA Rejection on New Poultry Information System from USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service
  • FOIA Request on New Poultry Inspection System

    FOIA Request on New Poultry Inspection System
Printer-friendly versionPrinter-friendly version

Monsanto's Roundup is a "probable human carcinogen." We need to ban it!

Get the latest on your food and water with news, research and urgent actions.

Please leave this field empty

Latest News

  • Trump’s Out, Biden’s In! Now The Fight Of Our Lives On Climate Begins.

    Trump’s Out, Biden’s In! Now The Fight Of Our Lives On Climate Begins.

  • Biden’s 100-Day Must-Do List for a Cleaner, Healthier Country

    Biden’s 100-Day Must-Do List for a Cleaner, Healthier Country

  • Fracking, Federal Lands, And Follow-Through: Will President Biden Do What He Promised?

    Fracking, Federal Lands, And Follow-Through: Will President Biden Do What He Promised?

See More News & Opinions

For Media: See our latest press releases and statements

Food & Water Insights

Looking for more insights and our latest research?

Visit our policy & research library
  • Renewable Natural Gas: Same Ol' Climate-Polluting Methane, Cleaner-Sounding Name

  • The Case to Ban Fracking on Federal Lands

  • Dangerously Deep: Fracking’s Threat to Human Health

Fracking activist with stickersFracking activist in hatLegal team loves family farmsFood & Water Watch organizer protecting your food

Work locally, make a difference.

Get active in your community.

Food & Water Impact

  • Victories
  • Stories
  • Facts
  • Trump, Here's a Better Use for $25 Billion

  • Here's How We're Going to Build the Clean Energy Revolution

  • How a California Activist Learned to Think Locally

Keep drinking water safe and affordable for everyone.

Take Action
food & water watch logo
en Español

Food & Water Watch mobilizes regular people to build political power to move bold & uncompromised solutions to the most pressing food, water, and climate problems of our time. We work to protect people’s health, communities, and democracy from the growing destructive power of the most powerful economic interests.

Food & Water Watch is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

Food & Water Action is a 501(c)4 organization.

Food & Water Watch Headquarters

1616 P Street, NW,
Washington, DC 20036

Main: 202.683.2500

Contact your regional office.

Work with us: See all job openings

  • Problems
    • Broken Democracy
    • Climate Change & Environment
    • Corporate Control of Food
    • Corporate Control of Water
    • Factory Farming & Food Safety
    • Fracking
    • GMOs
    • Global Trade
    • Pollution Trading
  • Solutions
    • Advocate Fair Policies
    • Legal Action
    • Organizing for Change
    • Research & Policy Analysis
  • Our Impact
    • Facts
    • Stories
    • Victories
  • Take Action
    • Get Active Where You Live
    • Organizing Tools
    • Find an Event
    • Volunteer with Us
    • Live Healthy
    • Donate
  • Give
    • Give Now
    • Give Monthly
    • Give a Gift Membership
    • Membership Options
    • Fundraise
    • Workplace Giving
    • Planned Giving
    • Other Ways to Give
  • About
  • News
  • Research Library
  • Contact
  • Careers
  • Donate
Learn more about Food & Water Action www.foodandwateraction.org.
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • 2021 © Food & Water Watch
  • www.foodandwaterwatch.org
  • Terms of Service
  • Data Usage Policy