The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California has ruled against the Humane Society of the U.S. and co-petitioners concerning line speeds in poultry processing plants. At issue is the USDA New Poultry Inspection System allowing up to 175 birds per minute.
The Court ruled that the animal rights groups lacked standing on the issue dismissing the case without prejudice. This will allow the petitioners to return with an amended complaint.
The lawsuit filed in 2020 has little to do with welfare of either birds or workers. Progressively higher line speeds are now possible due to advances in equipment design. Lawsuits verging on the frivolous are filed purely on the basis of opposition to all forms of intensive livestock production. Innovation that increase efficiency and hence the prospect of enhanced profitability inevitably becomes a targets for legal challenge.