Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2021 (USDA)

313.15(a)(1)

On 7-22-2021, at approximately 1850 hours while performing HATS Category VIII – Stunning effectiveness, I observed the Lead yard employee, REDACTED, attempt to stun a non-ambulatory beef heifer in Pen 6. The handheld captive bolt knocking gun malfunctioned causing the bolt to only eject about 1 inch into the animal’s poll area but did not penetrate through the skull into the brain, thus failing to render the animal unconscious with the first stun. Lead REDACTED immediately loaded the second captive bolt gun and properly rendered the heifer unconscious. I informed Mr. REDACTED that the regulations state that an animal must be made immediately unconscious on the stunning and the failure to render the animal unconscious due to the malfunction of the first captive bolt gun was not acceptable. The establishment failed to meet the requirements of 9CFR 313.15 (a)(1). Continued failure to meet the requirements of the Federal Regulations could lead to additional regulatory and or administrative action.

313.2

HATS Category III- Water Availability At approximately 1530 hours when I was checking the water in the pens, I noticed that the water bunks in between pens 14 and 15 (north and south water bunks) and in between pens 16 and 17 had no water level in them. The plugs were in the bunks and water was flowing but the water had been turned off inside due to construction and the pressure to the yards was affected. The temperature was 81 degrees Fahrenheit with 51 % humidity and the cattle had been in the pens for approximately an hour. The cattle were gathered around these bunks and they were licking at both the moist concreate and at the water hose. Yards personnel REDACTED and REDACTED immediately called maintenance and the issue was fixed by increasing the water flow to the bunks. The cattle had water until 1715 hours when it was reported that the bunks were dry again (82 degrees Fahrenheit and 48 % humidity). This time I refused to perform antemortem inspection on any cattle coming in until the water was provided to the cattle in the affected pens. The establishment again got the water levels up, but they moved pens 17 and 12 so that maintenance could work on the water lines. I verbally notified Yards Supervisor REDACTED and Shift Superintendent REDACTED that a humane handling non-compliance record would be documented for failure to provide adequate water to the cattle. Regulation §313.2 (e) states: “Animals shall have access to water in all holding pens....” And in this case the establishment failed to provide the cattle with access to water. No regulatory control action was taken at the time of the observation due to prompt corrective actions from the establishment. There have been no other non-compliances for the same root cause issued within the past 90 days.

313.2

HATS Category III: Water and Feed Availablity On April 12, 2021 at 0520 hours I was performing routine antemortem inspection when I observed that the water tanks for pens 14B and 15A were empty and no water was running into them. I informed REDACTED the 3rd shift yardman of my findings. The two 1st shift yardmen, REDACTED and REDACTED and REDACTED all started investigating the noncompliance. They discovered that the water line was shut off. They immediately got the water turned on and made available to the cattle in the two pens. This affected 80 head of cattle, 38 head in pen 14B and 42 head in pen 15A. I verbally informed 1st shift Slaughter Superintendent, REDACTED that a noncompliance report would be forthcoming. The finding is noncompliant against Title 9 CFR 313.2(e). NR PAI3623035830N issued on 3/29/2021 was for the same root cause.