Smithfield Packaged Meats Corp.: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2022 (USDA)

313.15(a)(1)

HATS Category VIII – Stunning Effectiveness On 8/24/2022 at approximately 1825 hours, I, Dr. REDACTED SPHV, observed the following humane handling noncompliance. After condemning a non-ambulatory hog upon antemortem inspection of fatigued/cripple hogs in Cripple Pen A, an establishment employee placed a hog restraining shield around the condemned hog to shield it away from another hog laying directly adjacent to the condemned hog. The condemned hog was conscious in lateral recumbency and exhibited labored, rhythmic breathing. The hog would respond to tapping around the eye by blinking and had tracking eye movements to objects moving around it but would not sit up out of lateral recumbency. Two establishment employees were present; each with a separate, loaded hand-held captive bolt (HHCB) device. The first employee placed the first HHBC device against the forehead of the hog while the hog was still in lateral recumbency. At the exact same time the HHBC device was discharged, the hog moved its head. There were no abnormalities to the sound of the gun discharging. Following the application of the initial stun, the hog remained sensible. The hog immediately vocalized and rolled into sternal recumbency and then into a dog-sitting position (standing on front limbs, sitting on hind end/hams). As the hog moved its head around observing its surroundings, a single captive bolt wound could be seen one inch above the right eye with blood draining from it. The second employee immediately stepped up to the hog with the second loaded HHCB device and applied a second stun attempt to the hog rendering it immediately insensible. The hog fell into lateral recumbency and began reflexively kicking. Corneal and palpebral reflexes were absent. The second stun wound was directly midline to the vertical plane of the hog’s forehead and on the same horizontal plane as the first stun attempt. Blood could now be seen dripping from both stun wounds. I took immediate an immediately regulatory control action (RCA) by ceasing captive bolt stunning of hogs. Night Shift Barn Manager REDACTED was informed of the forthcoming noncompliance report. Once immediate corrective actions/preventative measures were given verbally by the establishment, the establishment was released from the RCA. The failure to render a hog immediately insensible by captive-bolt stun is noncompliant with 9 CFR 313.15(a)(1).

313.2

HATS Category III Water and Feed Availability: On 07/07/2022 at approximately 1839 hours, the following noncompliance was observed. As I was finishing antemortem inspection and leaving the barn, I walked by Fatigue Pen 3. This pen is a holding pen for fatigued or lame hogs that are segregated just prior to walking into either the West or East REDACTED push gate system. At this time, there were eight (8) live hogs and one (1) dead hog being housed in this pen. This pen has a sprinkler/mister water system and a nipple waterer drinking system on separate, independent water lines. The misters were not running with no water flowing out of the misters, and I observed that the blue water line valve attached to the mister water line was in the off position with the valve handle running up and down perpendicular to the horizontal PVC water line. I then looked at the silver metal nipple waterer. No water was seen dripping from either side of the waterer. I then looked along the attached PVC water line and observed the blue water line valve attached to this water line was also in the off position with the valve handle running up and down perpendicular to the horizontal PVC water line. I then requested the Livestock Coordinator REDACTED to unlock the pen gate so I could enter the pen and test the nipple waterer for patency of drinking water. I then pressed on both ends of the nipple waterer to activate the water flow mechanism and no water flowed from the waterer. This nipple waterer drinking system is the only source of drinking water for hogs housed in Fatigue Pen 3. I showed my findings to Night Shift Barn Manager REDACTED and informed him of the forthcoming noncompliance report. Immediate corrective actions were to turn on the water line for the nipple waterer. Once the line was turned back on, water could immediately be seen dripping from the nipple waterer, and when the water flow mechanism was pressed, water was seen flowing from both sides of the waterer restoring water availability to the eight (8) live hogs in the pen. These findings are noncompliant with 9 CFR 313.2(e).

313.5

HATS VIII: Stunning Effectiveness On Friday June 3, 2022, I was performing the humane handling task, stunning effectiveness, and noted the following. The CO2 stunner that is closest to the rail failed to stun 5 pigs (out of 8 total) that were dropped out of the machine's basket. The pigs were alert and breathing but not standing or trying to standup. The plant acted immediately and used the nearby captive bolt guns to render the pigs unconscious. This action was performed quickly and effectively, and I did not witness any distress from the pigs. The alert pigs were still on the pre-shackle conveyor and never shackled or stuck for bleeding. The plant stopped using that CO2 machine and took an early lunch break to diagnose the problem. The other CO2 unit was working as expected and no alert pigs were produced from that machine during this time. During the lunch break the unit was recalibrated and upon startup, no more issues were noted. The plant will provide corrective actions to try and prevent this from occurring in the future. I discussed this noncompliance with Supervisor REDACTED.

313.2

On 11/29/2021, while walking with the USDA Food Inspector performing antemortem inspection from approximately 0540 hours to 0630 hours, I noted the following noncompliance with HATS Category III, Water and Feed Availability. Pen 41 had 11/27/2021 at 1606 hours written for when the hogs were penned, which meant the hogs had been on premises for over 37 hours at the time of antemortem inspection. There was no indication on the checklist that the hogs had been fed, and I did not see any evidence in the pen that there had been feed present. I then went to the barn office to review the pen checklists from 11/27 and 11/28 to see whether the hogs in pen 41 had been fed. There was nothing written on the pen checklist for pen 41 for 11/27 indicating that the hogs were fed, and the pen checklist for pen 41 from 11/28 could not be located. No feed log record could be located for 11/28. Supervisors REDACTED and REDACTED were assisting me in locating records and trying to determine whether the hogs in pen 41 were fed. Animal Handling Specialist REDACTED was informed of the situation upon his arrival in the barn office and he began looking through video footage for evidence that the hogs had been fed. The hogs in pen 41 were taken to slaughter at 0634 hours. At approximately 1021 hours, I called the barn office and asked Mr. REDACTED whether he found proof that the hogs were fed. He stated that after reviewing camera footage he determined that the hogs in pen 41 had not been fed. I informed him that this was a noncompliance. This is noncompliant with 9 CFR 313.2(e).