Sturgis Meats LLC: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2022 (USDA)

313.2

HATS Category III: Water Availability On Tuesday, November 30, 2021, at approximately 3:05 PM inspection personnel returned to establishment 9041 to perform an Odd Hour Humane Handling task in the livestock holding barn. The following condition was observed: Nine market hogs were being held in the USDA suspect pen with insufficient room to lie down and no water container was available in the pen. Plant Manager, REDACTED, was verbally notified of the noncompliance and the hogs were immediately moved to a larger pen with free access to water. This is in violation of 9 CFR 312.2(e). The Denver District Veterinary Medical Specialist was notified through supervisory channels. This noncompliance is being linked to a previous noncompliance record of PTE3808091701N/1 dated on 9/1/2021 for the same root cause of failing to provide water to animal held in the barn. Corrective actions from the previous noncompliance have not been proffered by the establishment.

313.16(a)(1)

HATS Category VIII: Stunning Effectiveness, 9CFR313.16(a)(1). At approximately 1120 Thursday October 1, 2021, while plant employee was stunning a beef cow in the chute, IPP observed an ineffective stun on a beef cow. The plant employee was using a .22 magnum rifle as the primary stunning device. As the employee applied the first stun with the .22 magnum rifle, the cow moved her head. Following the first stun attempt, the beef cow remained standing and conscious with no vocalization. After a brief delay, a second stun was applied with the same .22 magnum rifle. Following the second stun, the cow dropped, and was no longer ambulatory. IPP were able to observe the sides of the cow rise and fall, indicating rhythmic breathing, but no other signs of consciousness could be observed. The plant employee proceeded to grab a hand- held captive bolt device (HHCBD) and applied two security stuns with the HHCBD. Following the two security stuns with the HHCBD, IPP were still able to observe the sides of the animal rising and falling rhythmically. The establishment employee used the .22 magnum rifle and applied a final security stun, at which point, IPP were able to verify that the sides of the cow were no longer moving. IPP took regulatory control action by placing a US Reject tag (#B43051738) on the establishment’s stun box. At approximately 1130, IPP verbally informed the establishments manager REDACTED that a humane handling noncompliance for ineffective stunning would be issued. The dressed head was inspected, and one distinct penetrating stun hole was observed on the midline of the skull between the eyes. A second distinct penetrating stun hole was observed on the midline approximately 1 inch rostral from the poll of the animal. There was also a larger hole that was a combination of three penetrating stun holes on the midline of the skull located 2-3 inches above the eyes. Denver District Management was contacted through supervisory channels. There have been no other non-compliances for the same root cause within the past 90 days. The establishment has a robust systematic approach.