How the turkey industry beats back government regs

From farm to table, the traditional Thanksgiving turkey has long faced multiple layers of government regulation. But in recent years, turkey producers have lobbied intensely for less government oversight, winning in some cases and battling on in others. Whether it’s package labeling, safety inspections in poultry plants or new water regulations, the $4.8 billion turkey industry has been pushing back. Just how involved the feds are varies as the bird makes its way from farm to grocery store. Take the “humanely raised” sticker on your frozen supermarket turkey. The private label means little, and the government has nothing to do with it. At the slaughterhouse, the poultry industry this year won a bitter political battle that allows it to replace some Department of Agriculture inspectors with workers on the turkey or chicken company’s own payroll. Advocates warn that the move is a dangerous step toward self-regulation that threatens food safety. The narrative of how the industry behind one of America’s favorite holidays managed to get such a controversial policy through, despite fierce opposition, is a classic Washington tale of industry power brokering. The larger agriculture sector remains one of the most powerful forces in Washington, and the back-and-forth on inspection regulation is just one example of how effective such an industry can be at shaping policy, regulation by regulation, rule by rule, bill by bill. The turkey industry vehemently argues that it is already well-regulated and is staring down a pipeline of new regulations sought by the Obama administration that cover everything from animal feed standards to health insurance for workers...more