High Country Meats: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2022 (USDA)

313.15(a)(1),313.16(a)(1)

HATS Category VIII: Stunning Effectiveness On Thursday June 2, 2022, while conducting slaughter and humane handling inspection at High Country Meats Est. M47126 at approximately 0855 hours, I observed ineffective stunning of a swine. The stun operator failed to render the swine insensible on the first stun attempt using a hand-held captive bolt device. I observed the animal vocalize and remain standing in the stunning pen. The stun operator immediately picked up the back-up stunning device, a .30 caliber handgun, which was readily available at the stun pen, and apply a second stun. This stunning failed to render the swine insensible. I observed the animal vocalizing and moving its head back and forth while still standing in the stunning pen after the second stun attempt. The stun operator immediately reloaded the .30 caliber handgun and promptly applied a third stun which effectively rendered the swine insensible. I verified the swine remained insensible throughout the bleeding process. I placed U.S. Reject Tag No. B-46303309 on the stunning area and notified the Denver District Office of the multiple stun attempts. The stun operator and floor manager dressed and examined the head and noted three locations where the stunning devices contacted the swine’s head. This NR is being associated with NR EKU5616054719N, issued on April 28, 2022 for the same root cause. This establishment does not currently implement a robust systematic approach to humane handling.

313.16(a)(1)

HATS Category VIII: Ineffective stun On Thursday April 20, 2022, while conducting slaughter and humane handling inspection at High Country Meats Est. M47126 at approximately 1149 hours, I observed the following non-compliance: The stun operator failed to render a swine unconscious on the first stun attempt using a .22 caliber rifle. I observed the animal vocalize and remain standing in the stunning pen. The stun operator immediately notified me that he had an ineffective stun and was going to use the back-up stunning device, a .30 caliber handgun, which was readily available at the stun box and immediately rendered the swine unconscious. The stun operator and floor manager dressed and examined the head and noted that the placement of the first stun was too low, but the second stun was correctly placed. I inspected the head and concurred with their assessment. A regulatory control action was not taken due to the observed immediate and effective corrective actions. The DVMS was contacted through supervisory channels. There are no noncompliance records issues for the same root cause in the past 90 days. This establishment does not operate under a robust systematic approach to humane handling.

313.15(a)(1),313.15(b)(1)(iii),313.16(b)(1)(iii),313.16(a)(1)

HATS Category VIII: Ineffective stun On Thursday April 28, 2022 while conducting slaughter and humane handling inspection at High Country Meats Est. M47126 at approximately 1110 hours, I observed egregious inhumane slaughter of a market age swine. The stun operator failed to render the animal unconscious on the first stun attempt using a hand-held captive bolt (HHCB) device. I observed the animal vocalize and remain standing in the stunning pen. The stun operator then proceeded to use the readily available 22 rifle for a second stun attempt. The stun operator failed again to render the animal unconscious. I observed the animal pacing and circling within the stunning pen after the second stun attempt. The stun operator proceeded to call over the slaughter floor manager. The slaughter floor manager retrieved the HHCB device and entered the stunning pen. I observed the animal continue to pace and circle in the stunning pen. The slaughter floor manager told me that he would attempt a third stun using a 30-caliber firearm. I instructed the slaughter floor manager to take immediate action to render the animal unconscious. The slaughter floor manager informed me that the 30-caliber firearm was not readily available at the stunning area. The slaughter floor manager vacated the stunning area and returned from inside the establishment with the 30-caliber firearm. I observed the slaughter floor manager load the firearm and after a third stun attempt the swine was rendered unconscious. I placed U.S. Reject Tag No. B28452910 in the stunning area to suspend all federal inspected slaughter and contacted the Denver District Management Team through supervisory channels. Upon inspection of the dressed head, I observed three penetrating holes in the skull. There have been no noncompliance records issued for the same root cause within the past 90 days. This establishment has not implemented a robust systematic approach to humane handling.