Tom Polansek

CHICAGO (Reuters – Three pork plants were allowed to improve processing line speeds in this month’s trial program by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It is a return of a Trump policy.

This approval will permit meat businesses to raise pork production when they have enough hogs. These approvals also raise concerns over worker injury and food safety in meat plant kitchens.

Clemens Food Group, Hatfield, Pennsylvania, Quality Pork Processors, Austin, Minnesota, and Wholestone Farms Cooperative, Fremont, Nebraska were approved by the USDA for faster lines speeds. Requests for comment were not answered by the companies.

Because they had previously been able to expedite processing under Trump’s rule, nine plants were eligible for the program.

A U.S. judge invalidated last year’s rule following a lawsuit by the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW Union) against the USDA. The suit was based on safety concerns regarding workers who run faster slaughter lines.

Plants were limited to processing 1106 hogs an hour by the ruling.

According to the USDA, line speeds for plant approved for the trial are “unique”, according to Reuters. However, the USDA declined to give specific limitations.

The trial program allows plants to operate at higher speeds up to one year. They are also expected to gather data about how workers react to the speed of the line.

Mark Lauritsen of the union, international vice president meatpacking, stated that the UFCW is happy with its program in the plants it represents. Companies have committed to increasing staffing when lines speed accelerates to provide safety. This union represents the workers of Wholestone Farms, Quality Pork Processors, and Wholestone Farms.

Biden has repeatedly criticized the meat sector for being too concentrated, and has attempted to motivate smaller meatpacking companies to boost output to lower meat prices.