Booth Creek Wagyu: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2022 (USDA)

313.1

HATS category IV- Antemortem At approximately 0815 hours on 7/21/22  I (REDACTED) while observing humane handling activities for HATS category IV- Antemortem Inspection, I observed the following non-compliance: Food Safety Manager REDACTED just exited the slaughter floor into the pen area to move cattle from pen #3 to the alleyway leading to the stunning chute.   The steer in pen #3 reared up on its hind legs and trapped his left front leg in the space between the top corner of the gate panel and top hinge of the post to which the gate panel is attached.   Once the steer removed its leg from the entrapment, IPP observed the animal had fractured its left lower extremity. REDACTED immediately had the animal stunned in the pen area.  On 7/13/2022, I observed a steer reared up on his hind legs and his front right leg was wedged in the space between the gate panel and above the top hinge of the post to which it is attached on pen # 2 and could not release his leg.  The establishment stunned the animal in the pen.  I discussed with the establishment the concerns with the construction of their pen areas and the need to minimize animal excitement to prevent animal injuries.   The above is a failure of the requirements under 9 CFR 313.1(a) and the establishment’s responsibilities to maintain their livestock pens in good repair. I took regulatory control action with US Rejected tag# B38075476 on pen #3 and US Rejected tag # B38075477 on pen #2 and notified both Plant Manager REDACTED and REDACTED that a non-compliance would be issued.

313.16(a)(3),313.16(a)(1)

HATS Category VIII-Stunning Effectiveness On 12/14/21, at approximately 0928 hours, I, CSI REDACTED, was at Booth Creek Wagyu; Est. M47665, on the slaughter floor verifying HATS Category VIII-Stunning Effectiveness, when I observed the following noncompliance: I observed a stun failure on a hog in the establishment’s knock box area. According to my cell phone clock, the initial stun occurred at 0928 hours. After an establishment employee applied the initial stun with a .22 magnum rifle, I heard the animal vocalize loudly. I observed the animal was sitting upright on its 2 back legs. It was fully conscious, with its front legs extended, looking around and had normal blinking. I observed a black spot in the middle of the forehead where the animal was shot. The plant employee left the area to retrieve a secondary firearm (410 shotgun). According to my cell phone clock, the second stun occurred at 0932 hours which immediately rendered the animal unconscious. I initiated regulatory control by applying U.S. Rejected tag #B35826545 to the knock box. This is a failure to meet the regulatory requirements of 9CFR 313.16(a)(1) and 313.16(a)(3). I informed Plant Manager REDACTED that a noncompliance record would be issued.