New USDA Pork Rules to Raise Production by 12.5% as China Set for Big Agricultural Buys

New USDA Pork Rules to Raise Production by 12.5% as China Set for Big Agricultural Buys
Workers cut pork at a slaughterhouse in Chicago, Illinois, on July 18, 2015. Karl Plume/Reuters
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) updated the rules for its 52-year old inspection system at hog slaughterhouses that will increase production by 12.5 percent, just as China is set to make big agricultural purchases.

The USDA spent 22 years trying to update the swine slaughter component of the 1967 Wholesome Meat Act that still relies on antiquated “poke and sniff” inspection method to prevent disease transmissions into the nation’s food supply.