Quality Cut Meats: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2021 (USDA)

313.16(a)(1),313.16(b)(1)(iii)

At approximately 0855 hours, while performing HATS Category VIII – Stunning Effectiveness, I, CSI REDACTED observed the following noncompliance: After performing antemortem inspection on two bison that came in on a trailer, an establishment employee attempted to stun one bison freestanding on the trailer with a 30-30 rifle. For safety reasons, I left the area and proceeded inside the establishment building. I heard the rifle discharge twice. I proceeded back to the outside trailer and observed the bison still standing and consciousness, looking down. I proceeded back into the establishment building and heard a third discharge of the rifle and heard the animal fall in the trailer. I confirmed that the third stun attempt rendered the animal unconscious. I contacted Dr. REDACTED, FLS, and was instructed to take a regulatory control action. I tagged the restrainer with U.S. Reject number B37473789. The establishment skinned the head and I observed two holes on the forehead of the bison. One hole was even with the eyes in the center of the head and another hole was two inches above the eyes in the center of the head. The establishment split the head and I observed that both forehead stun holes were angled toward the sinus cavity and missed the brain. The third hole was behind the head between the poll and foramen magnum which did hit the cerebellum and the cerebral hemisphere. The establishment provided verbal preventative measures and I relinquished my regulatory control action. I notified Jennifer Hoeppner, establishment owner, of the forthcoming noncompliance with regulations 9 CFR 313.16(a)(1) and 313.16(b)(1)(iii).