Bright Oak Meats, Inc.: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2022 (USDA)

313.2

HATS Category II: Truck Unloading HATS Category VI: Electric Prod Alternative Object Use At approximately 1531 hours, I was performing the livestock humane handling verification task HATS category II for unloading of livestock as I observed three cattle being unloaded. The owners of the cattle were unloading the animals while an establishment employee watched. The last animal in the lot was reluctant to walk off the scale and was not moving. The owners of the cattle were employing a rattle paddle and a smooth sided plastic stick approximately 1 inch in diameter to move the animal. When I approached, I observed the plastic stick was in contact with the left cheek of the animal. I reviewed the establishment’s security footage to confirmed that the cattle owner had been striking towards the animal’s face. I did not observe evidence of the animal being struck in the eye and the animal remained calm with no vocalizations. During the event, I immediately stopped the cattle owner from prodding with the stick and informed the establishment employee that this was a regulatory non-compliance. The cattle owners left the barn to allow the plant employees to move the animals. I then verbally informed the plant owner of the non-compliance. The unloading ramp is tagged with U.S. Reject tag B9678945. The stunning area is tagged with U.S. Reject tag B19558811. The establishment has a robust humane handling plan and has not had any issues with unloading or prodding in the past 90 days. The Denver District Management team was contacted through supervisory channels.

313.2

At approximately 1355 while performing HATS Category III Water and Feed Availability of the Livestock Humane Handling Task, I observed 11 goats on the standing on the scale without access to water. No water trough was present and the door to the scale was closed so that the animals could not walk to a pen with water. The animals all appeared bright and alert. I immediately informed establishment employee REDACTED and owner REDACTED. Mr. REDACTED immediately moved the goats into a pen and verified that water was available. Mr. REDACTED stated that he had unloaded the animals earlier and left the door to the scale open so that they could walk down when comfortable. He did not inform any other establishment employees that animals had been left on the scale, so a slaughter floor employee had walked past the open door and closed it while en route to retrieve other animals from the barn. Ms. REDACTED, Plant Manager, and Ms. REDACTED, Food Safety Manager, were informed that a non-compliance report would be issued.