Protesting government meat inspectors, including some dressed in chicken suits, picketed Department of Agriculture headquarters in Washington in early April to focus attention on a shift in USDA poultry inspection regulations. Under a new Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) rule, many inspections of chicken carcasses will be transferred from FSIS inspectors to employees of the processing plants.
The agency says the rule will give inspectors more time to focus on pathogen prevention. FSIS inspectors will continue to conduct inspections during the last stages of production. FSIS says the rule will save money for taxpayers and be more efficient. Protesting inspectors, and some consumer groups supporting them, argue the agency is just trying to cut corners.