What Happened: USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) on Tuesday published an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) in the Federal Register seeking stakeholder input on whether — and how — the agency should update the size definitions it uses to classify meat and poultry establishments as “very small,” “small,” or “large.” FSIS is asking stakeholders to weigh in on alternative metrics such as production volume, corporate ownership structure, and business revenue.
Why It Matters: The current definitions, which are based on employee count and annual sales, date back to the 1996 Pathogen Reduction/HACCP Systems final rule and have remained largely unchanged since.
The size classifications determine, in part, which regulatory requirements apply to a facility, when compliance deadlines kick in, and which federal assistance programs an establishment is eligible for. Poultry processing facilities that fall under the “small” or “very small” categories may qualify for phased extended compliance timelines, reduced inspection fees, and exemptions from certain labeling and sampling requirements. The current definitions create some significant anomalies — an 11-employee plant and a 499-employee plant, for example, are both classified as “small,” even though their production capacity may be vastly different.
NCC’s Take: We have been advocating for a change to the establishment size definitions for some time and welcome this announcement. It is our position that establishments should be categorized by production volume instead of employee count, ownership structure, or revenue.
What’s Next: NCC will be providing comments to the agency which are due May 26, 2026.
WHAT HAPPENED: After 41 days, the Senate voted early Friday morning to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security, excluding ICE and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP). In a near-empty chamber, senators approved the funding by voice vote at 3 a.m. The fight over ICE and CBP will be pushed to reconciliation, along with measures on funding the war in Iran and the SAVE America Act.
WHAT’s NEXT? House leadership isn’t sure when the chamber would take this up, but it is expected it will be today or Saturday, and the bill should pass the House before the end of the weekend at the latest.
WHAT HAPPENED: USDA on Tuesday announced the launch of a national public awareness campaign to inform meat, poultry, and egg producers of the “Product of USA” voluntary labeling standard which went into effect on January 1, 2026, and intends to increase consumer understanding of what the label means. The claim is voluntary and ends the prior practice which allowed imported products to carry the claim after minimal processing and strengthens consumer confidence by aligning with what Americans expect and demand.
WHY IT MATTERS: The new labels follow updated USDA rules governing which products can carry the designation. Previously, items that were merely packaged or processed in the U.S. could legally use the label. In 2024, USDA revised the labeling rules, with the new requirements going into effect earlier this year. USDA does not maintain mandatory country-of-origin labeling claims for other types of meat products.
NCC’s TAKE: Consumers seeking chicken that’s Made in the USA can already find the “Hatched, Raised & Harvested in the U.S.” label on American chicken. Nearly all chicken consumed in the USA (more than 99%) is hatched raised and processed here, and this must be noted on the package in retail, as chicken has mandatory country of origin labeling. “We are very proud of that distinction, and now our members have another tool to showcase that their chicken is American made,” said NCC spokesperson Tom Super.
NEXT STEPS: For more information and an FAQ, visit: https://www.usda.gov/usa.
WHAT HAPPENED: Former Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) was sworn in Tuesday as Homeland Security secretary, succeeding Kristi Noem. The final vote Monday night was 54-45. All Republicans voted for Mullin with the exception of Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY). Sens. John Fetterman (D-PA) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM) were the only Democrats breaking with their party to support Mullin.
WHY IT MATTERS: The secretary leads the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which is responsible for guarding the nation against terrorism, cyberattacks, and other threats — both foreign and domestic. Alan Armstrong, an oil executive, was sworn in as a temporary senator appointed by Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt.
WHO IS ALAN ARMSTRONG? Armstrong, 63, was the Executive Chairman of Williams Companies, a natural gas company based out of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Williams handles roughly a third of the natural gas consumed in the U.S. through its pipeline infrastructure, according to the company. Prior to stepping into his current role at the company last July, Armstrong served as the CEO of Williams for nearly 15 years.
WHAT’S NEXT? Under Oklahoma law, Armstrong cannot run for the seat. The Oklahoma primary election will take place on June 16, and candidates must officially file to run during a three-day period from April 1-3. Republican Rep. Kevin Hern of Oklahoma has emerged as the leading candidate in the race. Hern represents Oklahoma’s 1st Congressional District, which is centered in the northeastern part of the state and anchored by the Tulsa metropolitan area.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING: “I grew up on an Air Force base, worked my way through school, built businesses, and served Oklahoma in Congress. Now I’m ready to fight for Oklahoma in the Senate,” Hern wrote in a post on X when announcing his campaign.
NCC’s TAKE: As the 13th largest broiler producing state in the country, NCC looks forward to working with the next junior senator from Oklahoma, whomever voters choose on November 3.
Alan Armstrong at the State Capitol on Tuesday. Source: AP
QuantiPath, based in Superior, CO, has joined the National Chicken Council as an allied member company. Dr. Beth Krushinskie, Vice President, Poultry, will serve as the official representative to NCC.
QuantiPath is a science-driven biotech initiative led by seasoned executives, with a mission to safeguard the food supply by revolutionizing food pathogen testing. At the center of this effort is GenoPATHX, a game-changing food safety testing platform developed over more than a decade by researchers at Tuskegee University and now exclusively licensed for global deployment. GenoPATHX is a qPCR-based platform designed to deliver quantified deep serotyping in under four hours, with no need for enrichment or culturing – enabling faster, more actionable decision-making.
Developed by a team of executives, microbiologists, and food safety consultants, QuantiPath’s solutions align with FSIS Key Performance Indicators and are purpose-built for poultry processors, packaged food manufacturers, and high-volume labs. To learn more about QuantiPath, visit their website here.
Online registration is now open for the National Chicken Council’s 2026 Summer Board of Directors Meeting, which will be held June 11-13 in Jackson Hole, WY. This meeting will offer a unique opportunity to discuss important matters and collaborate with fellow industry leaders. It is open to NCC board members, allied leader representatives, and invited guests only.
For more information, questions, sponsorship opportunities, or to register, please contact Polina Burko at [email protected].
The National Chicken Council is most grateful for the continuing support of our sponsors:
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U.S. total broiler slaughter data for the week ending March 21, 2026, is estimated by USDA’s Poultry Market News Service to be 170,237,000 broilers, a 2-percent increase from the same week a year earlier.
The 2-percent increase in slaughter compares with a 2-percent increase in eggs set in the United States, 10 weeks earlier, and a 2-percent increase in chicks placed 7 weeks earlier in the United States. USDA’s latest Broiler Hatchery report can be viewed here.
| U.S. Eggs Set, Chicks Placed, Broiler Slaughter Report | ||||||||||
| Week ending | Eggs set | Chicks placed | Eggs set | Chicks placed | Broilers slaughtered | |||||
| change from | change from | 10 weeks previous | 7 weeks previous | |||||||
| 1 year | 1 year | 1 year | 1 year | 1 year | ||||||
| -000- | % | -000- | % | -000- | % | -000- | % | -000- | % | |
| Feb | ||||||||||
| 14 * | 254,580 | 102 | 195,378 | 102 |
248,862 | 101 | 193,930 | 101 | 172,177 | 103 |
| 21 | 254,948 | 102 | 192,565 | 101 |
253,045 | 102 | 196,861 | 102 | 172,407 | 106 |
| 28 | 254,549 | 102 | 194,181 | 102 |
252,529 | 102 | 195,873 | 103 | 170,100 | 101 |
| Mar | ||||||||||
| 7 | 252,362 | 101 | 195,083 | 102 |
252,666 | 102 | 196,122 | 103 | 172,229 | 103 |
| 14 | 253,715 | 102 | 196,200 | 102 |
252,239 | 101 | 194,978 | 101 | 173,432 | 104 |
| 21 | 255,182 | 102 | 195,874 | 102 |
253,361 | 102 | 195,386 | 102 | 170,237 | 102 |
| 28 | — | — | — | — |
254,388 | 103 | 195,573 | 102 | — | — |
*President’s Day Holiday Weekend
The staff at NCC wishes you and your families a very blessed and happy Easter weekend next week! NCC’s Washington Report will return on Friday, April 10.
