The United States Department of Agriculture began inspecting poultry in 1957. The system at that time was largely organoleptic by which inspectors would look for visible defects on car-casses to identify and remove carcasses from the processing line. Throughout the last 57 years, the USDA has enacted many regulations to safeguard meat and poultry processing. Processing establishments in the U.S. operate under one of four poultry inspection systems. 2014 marks the year where establishments now have a fifth optional inspection system to operate under should they choose to do so. The New Poultry Inspection System has been 15 years in the making.