United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States National Archives and Records Administration Office of the Federal Register author aut Government Organization text government publication eng FR Regulatory Information 2026_register executive 2026-05-21 article Rules and Regulations D09002ee1e1e8bf1d D09002ee1e1e8bf8f United States Department of Agriculture originator org United States Government Agency or Subagency United States Food Safety and Inspection Service originator org United States Government Agency or Subagency FSIS is amending its regulations to end mandatory mandibular lymph nodes ("lymph nodes") incision and viscera palpation of swine carcasses in all swine slaughter establishments (i.e., establishments operating under traditional swine slaughter inspection or the New Swine Slaughter Inspection System (NSIS)). Mandibular lymph nodes incision and viscera palpation of swine carcasses are not needed to ensure food safety, as FSIS swine condemnation rates are low and disease conditions that are condemnable defects can be detected visually through other pathological changes in the carcass and its parts. Therefore, FSIS is amending the meat inspection regulations to remove requirements for establishment sorters to "incise mandibular lymph nodes and palpate the viscera" as part of their sorting activities before FSIS post- mortem inspection in NSIS establishments. FSIS is also amending the post-mortem swine inspection staffing standards table applicable to swine slaughter establishments operating under traditional inspection. This change will allow FSIS more flexibility to assign inspection program personnel (IPP) based on the establishment's line configuration, other establishment operations, and FSIS staffing needs. 91 FR 29879 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/FR-2026-05-21/2026-10186 2026-10186 fr21my26-1 RIN 0583-AD99 3410-DM-P Docket No. FSIS 2024-0023 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/FR-2026-05-21/2026-10186 https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-05-21/html/2026-10186.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-05-21/pdf/2026-10186.pdf Animal Diseases Blood Meat Inspection 10 p. 29879 29888 91 FR 29879 Title 9 Part 310 9 CFR Part 310 RIN 0583-AD99 Visual Post-Mortem Inspection in Swine Slaughter Establishments; Federal Register Vol. 91, Issue RULE 2026-10186 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Food Safety and Inspection Service 2026-07-20 Docket No. FSIS 2024-0023 3410-DM-P 2026-10186 Final rule.

FSIS is amending its regulations to end mandatory mandibular lymph nodes ("lymph nodes") incision and viscera palpation of swine carcasses in all swine slaughter establishments (i.e., establishments operating under traditional swine slaughter inspection or the New Swine Slaughter Inspection System (NSIS)). Mandibular lymph nodes incision and viscera palpation of swine carcasses are not needed to ensure food safety, as FSIS swine condemnation rates are low and disease conditions that are condemnable defects can be detected visually through other pathological changes in the carcass and its parts. Therefore, FSIS is amending the meat inspection regulations to remove requirements for establishment sorters to "incise mandibular lymph nodes and palpate the viscera" as part of their sorting activities before FSIS post- mortem inspection in NSIS establishments. FSIS is also amending the post-mortem swine inspection staffing standards table applicable to swine slaughter establishments operating under traditional inspection. This change will allow FSIS more flexibility to assign inspection program personnel (IPP) based on the establishment's line configuration, other establishment operations, and FSIS staffing needs.

Effective July 20, 2026. April Regonlinski, Assistant Administrator, Office of Policy and Program Development, at (202) 205- 0495. Animal Diseases Blood Meat Inspection Visual Post-Mortem Inspection in Swine Slaughter Establishments, program.intake@usda.gov https://data.bls.gov/oes/#/ https://data.bls.gov/oes/#/industry/000000 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fawpar.2024.e00238 https://www.aphis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/swine2012-dr-parti.pdf https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2022/econ/susb/2022-susb-annual.html https://www.census.gov/naics/?input=31&chart=2022&details=311611 https://www.fsis.usda.gov/federal-register https://www.fsis.usda.gov/inspection/import-export/import-export-library https://www.fsis.usda.gov/policy/fsis-directives/6100.2 https://www.fsis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/import/training-establishment-sorters-nsis.pdf https://www.fsis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media_file/2020-07/6600.1.pdf https://www.fsis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media_file/2020-07/9000.1.pdf https://www.fsis.usda.gov/subscribe https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2018-02-01/pdf/2018-01256.pdf https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/24Tables/html/RUS.aspx https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/files/Size_Standards_Table.pdf https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0362028X23064293#bb0015 https://www.wto.org/english/docs_e/legal_e/sps_e.htm Vol. 91, no. 98 Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration 2026-05-21 continuing daily deposited born digital 320 p. Table of Contents: AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106: KF70.A2 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/FR-2026-05-21 P0b002ee1e1e8bb9d 0097-6326 0042-1219 0364-1406 769-004-00000-9 000582072 f:fr21my26 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/FR-2026-05-21 https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-05-21/pdf/FR-2026-05-21.pdf https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-05-21/xml/FR-2026-05-21.xml fdlp 29879 30190 DGPO 2026-05-21 2026-05-21 FR-2026-05-21 machine generated eng FR FR-2026-05-21 91 98