F.B. Purnell Sausage Company Inc.: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2022 (USDA)

313.2

HATS category VI: Electric prod/alternative object use While performing the Livestock Humane Handling task at Purnell Sausage Co. (M7464) Simpsonville, KY Supervisory Veterinary Medical Officer (SVMO) REDACTED, DVM made the following observation in the holding pens of the establishment at approximately 1500 hrs. EDT: Establishment personnel were attempting to drive approximately 10 uncooperative sows from pen #6 to the chute system leading to the restrainer for electrical stunning. Establishment personnel were observed jabbing a sow in the head/neck region with a rattle paddle; a second sow was forcefully struck in the “face” with a rattle paddle as it ran toward establishment personnel to pass. SVMO Dr. REDACTED took an immediate regulatory control action and instructed establishment personnel to stop their attempts to move the animals. Kill Floor Supervisor REDACTED was notified of the above observation and action, and the forthcoming documentation of the non-compliance with 9 CFR 313.2(b).

313.2

HATS Category III: Water and Feed Availability On April 27, 2022 at approximately 2345 hours while performing the Livestock Humane Handling task, I, CSI REDACTED, observed the following humane handling noncompliance. I observed seven sows inside the U.S. Suspect pen that runs along the back wall of pen #7 that did not have access to water. I took regulatory control action and tagged the door of U.S. Suspect pen with U.S. Rejected B45422932. I notified Supervisor REDACTED of the noncompliance with 9 CFR 313.2(e) and showed him the pen without access to water. At approximately 0025 hours, the regulatory control action was released upon verifying that Mr. REDACTED moved the sows from the U.S. Suspect pen into pen #7, which had access to water.

313.2

HATS category II: Truck unloading While performing the Livestock Humane Handling task at Purnell Sausage Co. (M7464) Simpsonville, KY Supervisory Veterinary Medical Officer (SVMO) REDACTED, DVM made the following observation in the holding pens of the establishment: At approximately 1015 hrs. EDT while verifying Humane Handling Activities Tracking System (HATS) category II: truck unloading, the last lot of a load of animals (approximately 15 in number) was exiting the trailer via the ramp of the trailer. The last animal reversed course and headed back up the ramp of the trailer. The trucker/unloader (not establishment personnel) stopped the animal and attempted to encourage it to back down the ramp. Being unsuccessful in his attempt, the trucker/unloader put down the paddle he had in his hand and held both hands to the side of the animal’s head; after a short pause he then proceeded to grab both ears of the animal and lift. SVMO Dr. REDACTED took an immediate regulatory control action and instructed the trucker/unloader to stop the observed activity. The animal was successfully unloaded without further incident. Hog Buyer REDACTED, who was present during the unloading of the trailer, was notified of the non-compliance with 9 CFR 313.2(a) and the forthcoming documentation. Regulatory Manager REDACTED was likewise informed of the non-compliance and forthcoming documentation.

313.1

HATS category IV: Antemortem inspection While performing the Livestock Humane Handling task at Purnell Sausage Co. (M7464) Simpsonville, KY Supervisory Veterinary Medical Officer (SVMO) REDACTED, DVM made the following observations at approximately 1130 hrs. EST in the barn of the establishment: the entrance to the unloading chute was found with an approximately half-inch thick by 12 inch wide sheet of solid ice covering over half of the entrance floor; the area in question is the first place the animals cross when leaving the trailer to enter the barn. The threshold the animals cross entering the scale was found to be covered in ice as well; the threshold being approximately 4 inches wide and 3 feet long. The scale floor was likewise observed with ice on the flooring and multiple baseball size solid hemispheres of ice on the flooring. There was no indication the establishment took preventative measures to reduce the potential of animal injury by slipping and falling on the ice formation. U.S. Rejected tag #B45422884 was placed upon the unloading chute and Kill Floor Supervisor REDACTED was notified of the observations and forthcoming documentation of the non-compliance with 9 CFR 313.1(b). Upon arriving at the establishment at approximately 1030 hrs. EST, Dr. REDACTED observed a semi-truck and trailer positioned at the unloading chute of the barn. Dr. REDACTED went directly to the barn and discovered that all animals had just finished unloading from the trailer.

313.2

HATS category IV: Ante-mortem inspection While performing the Livestock Humane Handling task at Purnell Sausage Co. (M7464) Simpsonville, KY Supervisory Veterinary Medical Officer REDACTED, DVM made the following observation in the holding pens of the establishment: At approximately 1330 hrs. EST establishment personnel were observed moving sows from pen #7 to pen #6 to place in line for slaughter. An unobstructed view found the establishment employee encouraging the movement of a resting sow from the corner of pen #7 with the aid of a rattle paddle. Once the sow was ambulatory and freely walking, the establishment employee was observed to walk up behind the sow, and kick it, contacting the hind quarters. Dr. REDACTED verbally instructed the establishment employee to stop moving animals. Supervisor REDACTED was informed of the above observation and non-compliance with 9 CFR 313.2(a); U.S. Rejected tag #B45422888 was placed upon the restrainer and District Veterinary Medical Specialist (DVMS) REDACTED, DVM was contacted for further guidance. At approximately 1430 hrs. EST the regulatory control action was removed by inspection program personnel (IPP); Supervisors REDACTED and REDACTED were notified of the forthcoming documentation of the non-compliance. This continues a recent trend in humane handling non-compliance.

313.2

HATS category V: Suspect and disabled At approximately 0915 hrs. EST while giving the Inspection Program Personnel (IPP) break, Supervisory Veterinary Medical Officer (SVMO) REDACTED, DVM was approached by establishment personnel for Purnell Sausage Co. (M7464) Simpsonville, KY at the USDA inspection station on the kill floor; establishment personnel stated a sow was down in pen #6. Upon completion of the immediate tasks at approximately 1000 hrs. EST, Dr. REDACTED went to holding pen #6 in the barn. There, a lateral recumbent moribund sow was observed in the pen with approximately 15 normal ambulatory animals; establishment personnel had failed to separate the disabled animal from the normal population. Dr. REDACTED instructed establishment personnel present not to move additional animals from the pen as establishment personnel was starting to move animals from the pen without protecting the disabled animal [establishment personnel had been moving animals from pen #6 to the chute system leading to the restrainer for electrical stunning.] Kill Floor Supervisor REDACTED and Supervisor REDACTED were brought to the barn and informed of the above observation. Dr. REDACTED informed supervisory establishment personnel a regulatory control action was being taken with the placement of U.S. Rejected tag #B45422866 on the restrainer due to the repetitive nature of non-compliance with 9 CFR 313.2(d)(1) for the same root cause. The chain of command for the Jackson District was contacted for further guidance. At approximately 1030 hrs. EST Dr. REDACTED informed supervisory establishment personnel the regulatory control action was being removed and of the forthcoming documentation of non-compliance with 9 CFR 313.2(d)(1).

313.2

HATS category V: Suspect and Disabled While performing the Livestock Humane Handling task, Supervisory Veterinary Medical Officer (SVMO) REDACTED, DVM observed the following Humane Handling Activities Tracking System (HATS) category V non-compliance in the holding pens of Purnell Sausage Co. (M7464) Simpsonville, KY: At approximately 0915 hrs. EST while observing the stunning process, SVMO Dr. REDACTED became aware a sow was down in the holding pens. Dr. REDACTED proceeded to the holding pens and found in pen #7 a lateral recumbent moribund sow lying in approximately one inch of fecal soup; approximately 10 other animals were still in the pen with the non-ambulatory disabled (NAD) animal. The establishment failed to take measures to separate/protect the NAD animal from the normal animal population. Dr. REDACTED assured the NAD animal was separated from the other animals by having them removed from the pen. Kill Floor Supervisor REDACTED was notified of the observation and forthcoming documentation of the non-compliance with 9 CFR 313.2(d)(1).

313.2

HATS category V: Suspect and Disabled While performing the Livestock Humane Handling task, Supervisory Veterinary Medical Officer (SVMO) REDACTED, DVM observed the following Humane Handling Activities Tracking System (HATS) category V non-compliance in the holding pens of Purnell Sausage Co. (M7464) Simpsonville, KY: At approximately 1430 hrs. EST a disabled gilt was observed near the gate between holding pens #6 and #7; the gilt was initially observed lateral recumbent, then sternal. When coaxed, it stood briefly, and was trembling, but was unable to walk any distance. Two establishment personnel were aware of the disabled gilt however they took no measures to separate the gilt from the normal population. Establishment personnel were observed moving animals from pen #7 into pen #6 past the unprotected disabled gilt. SVMO Dr. REDACTED ensured stoppage of animal movement from pen #7 to pen #6 to protect the disabled gilt from the other mobile animals. Kill Floor Supervisors REDACTED and REDACTED were notified of the observation and forthcoming documentation of the non-compliance with 9 CFR 313.2(d)(1).

313.30(a)(3),313.30(a)(1)

HATS category VIII: Stunning Effectiveness While performing the livestock Humane Handling Activities Tracking System (HATS) task, Supervisory Veterinary Medical Officer (SVMO) REDACTED, DVM made the following observation at Purnell Sausage Co. (M7464) Simpsonville, KY: At approximately 1445 hrs. EST a large sow was removed from the chute system leading to the restrainer for electrical stunning by establishment personnel; the sow was too large to walk through the chute. The sow proceeded to walk toward the kill floor and found its way under the elevated restrainer. Supervisory establishment personnel were able to coax the sow from under the restrainer and elected to stun the sow adjacent to the restrainer/stick table area. After placing the head/heart electrical stunner on the sow and engaging the power supply the sow was observed to become recumbent and proceed to roll; it was at this time the electrical stun device lost contact with the sow, the sow began to vocalize, and the electrical stunner became de-energized, resulting in an ineffective stun. Recognizing the situation, establishment personnel took immediate corrective action, applied the electrical stunner a second time, and rendered the sow insensible, and so it remained throughout the remainder of the slaughter process. U. S. Rejected tag # B45-422864 was placed on the restrainer. Kill Floor Supervisors REDACTED and REDACTED were informed of the non-compliance and advised that the chain of command for the Jackson District Office would be notified for further guidance.

313.2

HATS category VI: Electric prod/alternative object use While performing the livestock Humane Handling Activities Tracking System (HATS) task, Supervisory Veterinary Medical Officer (SVMO) REDACTED, DVM made the following observation at approximately 1145 hrs. EDT in the holding pens of Purnell Sausage Co. (M7464) Simpsonville, KY: Establishment personnel were in the process of moving sows from holding pen #1 to holding pens #7 and 7B to place in line for slaughter. The sows were observed “log jamming” at the exit from #1 and an establishment employee was observed with an approximately 4-foot rattle paddle being held with both hands, raising it above his head, and repeatedly and forcefully swinging and striking the sows in an attempt to make them exit the pen. A verbal regulatory control action was taken by Dr. REDACTED and the establishment employee was instructed to stop. Kill Floor Supervisor REDACTED was notified of the above observation and the forthcoming documentation of non-compliance with 9 CFR 313.2(b).