Masami Foods, Inc.: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2021 (USDA)
See the detail of the non-compliance of humane livestock handling that the USDA observed at the Masami Foods, Inc. slaughterhouse establishment in 2021.
You can also see other establishments that were non-compliant in 2021.
313.15(a)(2),313.15(a)(3)
On 30Sept2021, at approximately 1130 hours, I, REDACTED, SPHV, observed the following noncompliance. After a report from the online IPP that there may have been a mis-stunned cow and that there were two cows in the knock box (as described in the linked MOI CCC0412105414G), I went out to the kill floor and observed one cow being hoisted onto the rail. Once at the knock box, I observed she had a cut along her throat, indicating she had been bled, and her front feet were removed. An employee was removing the ears and lips. The placement of the knock hole on her forehead was appropriate for stunning. The tail gate was closed, but I could see a couple more cows standing in the alleyway. There was a second cow that was halfway in the knock box and halfway in the alley way. She was sternally recumbent with her front legs in front of her. Her head was off the ground, and there was twitching of the neck and face muscles as she lowered her head to the floor. At that point there was no palpebral or corneal reflex, and the tongue was flaccid. There were two knock holes about an inch apart and centered on the forehead. I allowed the employees to shackle, hoist, and bleed her and continue processing her but instructed the employees not to continue stunning cows until we got this problem sorted out. I placed US Reject Tag B32115556 on the handle of the knock box and followed my chain of command to report the incident. The establishment’s systematic approach to humane handling of cattle states that: “One at a time, they are brought into a knocking box...” Because two cattle were run into the knock box at the same time, the establishment did not follow their systematic approach to humane handling. I notified Kill Floor Supervisor REDACTED of the forthcoming noncompliance for failure to comply with regulations set forth in 9CFR313.15(a)(2) and 313.15(a)(3). After a meeting with the establishment management at about 1230 hours on the same day, it was decided that there will only one beef in the knock box, one beef in the first lead-up pen, and three beef in each of the remaining two lead-up pens. Retraining of barn and stunning crew would also occur. After the discussion, I removed the US Reject Tag B32115556 from the handle of the knock box and allowed for the continue of slaughter.
