Constituent Update - February 20, 2026

FSIS Announces Two Proposed Rules to Update Poultry and Swine Processing Regulations

FSIS is announcing the publication of two proposed rules that would update regulatory requirements for poultry and swine establishments operating under modern slaughter inspection systems. The proposed updates are intended to provide more flexibility for establishments using these systems while maintaining all existing food safety protections and federal inspection activities.

New Poultry Inspection System Proposed Rule:

The proposed rule would update regulatory requirements for establishments operating under the New Poultry Inspection System (NPIS). The proposal would:

• Permit NPIS establishments to operate at line speeds of up to 175 birds per minute for young chickens and up to 60 birds per minute for turkeys when maintaining process control.
• Affirm the authority of the Inspector in Charge to require a reduction in operating speed whenever carcass-by-carcass inspection cannot be adequately performed or when establishments lose process control.
• Remove certain requirements that fall outside FSIS' statutory authority while preserving all food safety verification activities and inspection responsibilities.

New Swine Inspection System Proposed Rule:

The proposed rule would update regulatory requirements for establishments operating under the New Swine Inspection System (NSIS). The proposal would:

• Remove the maximum line speed limit of 1,106 head per hour for NSIS establishments.
• Allow establishments to set operating speeds based on their ability to maintain process control and comply with all food safety requirements.
• Maintain full carcass-by-carcass inspection and all verification activities conducted by FSIS inspection personnel.
• Clarify and streamline regulatory requirements to align with FSIS' statutory responsibilities.

FSIS invites comments on both proposed rules. Comments must be received within 60 days of publication in the Federal Register. Both the NPIS Line Speed and NSIS Line Speed rules have been published and are available for public comment through April 20, 2026.

Stakeholder Engagement

On February 18, FSIS Administrator Dr. Justin Ransom addressed approximately 130 processors and suppliers at the Southwest Meat Association Meat, Education, Advocacy, and Technology Forum in Arlington, Texas.

Dr. Ransom laid out the agency's core strategy. The focus is on building the right workforce, using data and technology to support consistent decision making, and keeping public health at the center of every outcome. He described how FSIS is investing in workforce development and using data to identify risk trends across a large, complex food system. He also pointed to the agency's work exploring artificial intelligence tools to support faster, more proactive oversight.

On modernization, Dr. Ransom noted that line speed rules for poultry and swine are advancing to reflect today's operating realities, including modern equipment, training, and inspection tools. Small and very small establishments make up more than 91 percent of federally inspected facilities and the agency will be launching a small and very small strategy to provide more meaningful processor support and help connect the dots with other agencies and stakeholder partners.

The following day, Under Secretary for Food Safety Dr. Mindy Brashears addressed turkey industry leaders at the National Turkey Federation Annual Convention, focusing on science, data, and shared responsibility.

Salmonella remains a top priority. Dr. Brashears stressed the need for better metrics, improved sampling strategies, and practical solutions that work at scale. She presented data showing mixed progress across carcass and comminuted turkey categories from 2015 to 2025. FSIS is now reassessing how sampling reflects true public health risk.

Listeria monocytogenes also received significant attention, particularly in ready-to-eat and deli turkey products. Dr. Brashears pointed to preventive controls and environmental monitoring as essential tools for the highest risk processes.

Dr. Brashears closed with a direct message: progress requires real collaboration across industry, researchers, and federal partners.

Under Secretary for Food Safety Dr. Mindy Brashears addressed turkey industry leaders at the National Turkey Federation Annual Convention.

FSIS Updated Import Presented Refused and Import Refusal Reason Datasets

Today, FSIS updated the Import Presented Refused and Import Refusal Reason datasets on the Import and Export Data page. The Import Presented Refused dataset includes lot-level information for import volume along with import refusal data at the lot-level. The Import Refusal Reason is provided as a secondary dataset, providing each refusal reason as its own row to facilitate analysis.

The Import Presented Refused and Import Refusal Reason datasets are updated monthly and posted the third Friday of each month, with data broken out by fiscal year (FY), starting with data from FY 2014 (starting on October 1, 2013) through the most recent FY. These datasets are released in an open, non-proprietary comma separated values (csv) format. Instructions on how to open csv files using Excel are available on the FSIS Sampling web page in the Comma Separated Values Guide section.

FSIS Releases 2025 Annual Recall and Public Health Alert Summary

FSIS has published its annual summary of meat and poultry recalls and public health alerts issued in calendar year 2025. You can view the full summary data, including breakdowns by class, reason, and species, on the FSIS Annual Recall Summaries page.

FSIS Posts National Residue Sampling Report and Data

FSIS' National Residue Program Quarterly Report (April to June 2025) and associated datasets are now available on the FSIS website. The report and datasets cover residue sampling data for domestic surveillance, inspector-generated, and import sampling programs for the third quarter of fiscal year 2025. The quarterly report summarizes the chemical residue results for the U.S. National Residue Program for meat, poultry, and egg products, helping to ensure a safe food supply. Beginning with this quarterly residue report, FSIS will include cell-cultured meat and poultry food product residue results.

Visit the FSIS website for more details on the annual sampling plans and reports.

Available for Public Comment

FSIS seeks public comments on proposed rules and notices, which are viewable on the FSIS Federal Register & Rulemaking webpage. FSIS is currently seeking comments on the following:

• Until March 16: Notice of Request To Renew an Approved Information Collection: Advanced Meat Recovery
• Until March 16: Notice of Request To Renew an Approved Information Collection: Specified Risk Materials
• Until April 13: Notice of Request To Renew an Approved Information Collection: Sanitation SOPs and Pathogen Reduction/HACCP
• Until April 20: Maximum Line Speed Under the New Swine Slaughter Inspection System (NSIS)
• Until April 20: Maximum Line Speed Rates for Young Chicken and Turkey Establishments Operating Under the New Poultry Inspection System (NPIS)

Policy Update

FSIS notices and directives on public health and regulatory issues are available on the FSIS Policy webpage. The following policy update was recently issued:

• Docket No. FSIS-2025-0211: 2026 Rate Changes for the Basetime, Overtime, Holiday, Laboratory Services, and Export Application Fees

Export Requirements Update

The Library of Export Requirements has been updated for products for the following:

• St. Lucia
• Nicaragua
• Azerbaijan
• Costa Rica
• El Salvador
• Panama
• Benin
• Kiribati
• Burma (Myanmar)
• Honduras
• Dominica
• Barbados
• United Arab Emirates
• Turkey
• Canada
• Japan

Complete information can be found at the FSIS Import & Export Library.