Meat Institute Expands Access to Food Safety Equipment Design Principles 

The Meat Institute today announced the release of Portuguese and Chinese translations of its widely used Food Safety Equipment Design Principles, expanding global access to one of the industry’s most important food safety resources.

Food safety remains a top priority and a core value for our members and the consumers they serve,” said Meat Institute President and CEO Julie Anna Potts. “By expanding access to the Equipment Design Principles with Portuguese and Chinese translations, we are reinforcing our industry’s shared commitment to growth, innovation, and the highest standards of safety in every facility and every community we serve...

Meat Institute: Economists and Experts Pan Schumer Bill

Meat and Poultry Industry experts and economists universally pan U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer’s (D-NY) bill, the so-called “Family Grocery and Farmer Relief Act”:

Hyrum Egbert: You can’t legislate the cattle cycle

Beef supply chain economic expert Hyrum Egbert says, “This bill is being marketed as consumer relief and rancher fairness. But the assumptions underneath it, about how prices form, how retail behaves, and what happens when you force structural breakups in a capital-intensive chain, don’t line up with the actual mechanics...

Meat Institute: Schumer Bill will Decimate Meat and Poultry Industry

The Meat Institute today said Senator Schumer’s bill will destroy the meat packing industry, sending costs for consumers soaring, reducing union jobs, and harming livestock and poultry producers.

“This proposal is absurd,” said Meat Institute President and CEO Julie Anna Potts. “Schumer’s bill and other efforts to villainize meat packers is simply reckless election year pandering that threatens to damage a crucial industry at the center of every American meal. If the Senator is trying to make meat and poultry more affordable for consumers, this is the wrong approach. It will have the opposite effect...

Meat Industry Recommended Animal Handling Guidelines + Audit, Version 2026

The Meat Institute is proud to announce that it has published updated versions of the Animal Welfare Audit and the Meat Industry Recommended Animal Handling Guidelines.

The primary changes to the updated Audit and Guidelines include:

• Points for each criterion allowing users to set goals for each element of the Audit for continuous improvement.
• Transportation and slaughter audit for bison.
• Vocalization of cattle in the slaughter Audit will now be scored similarly to swine vocalization to maintain consistency across species.

Optimal handling of domestic livestock and bison is essential for meat packers — not only for ethical reasons, but also for ensuring workplace safety. Once animals...

Meat & Poultry Processors Contribute $57.3 Billion to US Economy & Provide 584,000 Jobs

The Meat Institute today released an economic study that found the meat and poultry processing industry contributes $57.3 billion to the US economy and provides 584,000 jobs. The entire meat and poultry industry, including livestock production, animal feed, equipment manufacturing, transportation and more contributes $347.7 billion in value to the nation, supporting 3.2 million jobs.

“The meat and poultry industry is a critical and growing part of the US economy, and one that has outsized importance to rural economies,” said Meat...

President Trump Securing Market Access in Australia for US Beef Draws Praise

President Trump secured expanded access to Australia’s market for U.S. fresh and frozen beef, scoring a historic win for American ranchers. For over two decades, Australia imposed non-scientific barriers on U.S. beef, closing off a critical market. Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, Australia opened its market to U.S. beef, scoring a major win for U.S. ranchers.

The announcement was immediately met with praise from American ranchers, stakeholders, and lawmakers:

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President and Nebraska Cattleman Buck Wehrbein: For 20 years... 

Meat Institute and AMSA Offer a Training Resource to Support New Swine Inspection System

The Meat Institute, in collaboration with the American Meat Science Association (AMSA), has assembled a practical training guide to support effective implementation of the USDA’s New Swine Inspection System (NSIS). This new resource is designed to enhance in-plant training and provide consistent, science-based guidance—particularly for sorting decisions.

Created in direct response to feedback from establishments and industry partners, the guide features real-world examples, clear explanations, and condition-specific imagery to improve accuracy and confidence in decision-making...