The Hillshire Brands Company: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2022 (USDA)

313.15(a)(3),313.15(a)(1)

HAT Category VIII: Stunning Effectiveness On 06/08/2022 at approximately 1124 hours while performing a HAT category VIII-Stunning Effectiveness verification task I, REDACTED, observed the following stunning noncompliance. Specifically, while observing the stunning of a hog in pen 13 that the establishment’s Barn Lead, Mr. REDACTED, and the Barn Supervisor, Mr. REDACTED relayed to me was going to plant condemned, I observed that Mr. REDACTED first stunning blow (utilizing a hand-held penetrating captive bolt stunner) failed to render the hog insensible to pain (failed to produce immediate unconsciousness), and that it remained alert, in a standing position, and vocalized loudly and continuously. I also observed a black ringed defect on the hog’s head post the initial stunning blow. Mr. REDACTED took immediate corrective actions within seconds utilizing a back-up hand-held penetrating captive bolt stunner that he had prepared and pre-loaded prior to his initial stunning attempt. Mr. REDACTED second stunning blow rendered the hog immediately insensible to pain (resulted in immediate unconsciousness), and it remined so thereafter. Immediate verbal regulatory control was taken and Mr. REDACTED, Barn Supervisor, and Mr. REDACTED, Barn Lead, were notified of the noncompliance and the establishment’s failure to comply with the regulatory requirements prescribed in 9 CFR 313.15(a)(1) and 313.15(a)(3). Regulatory control was subsequently relinquished upon Mr. REDACTED further corrective actions.

313.1

HAT Category IV-Handling during Antemortem Inspection On 10/21/2021 at approximately 1240 hours while performing a Humane Handling Verification Task, (HATS Category IV - Ante-mortem Inspection). I, CSI REDACTED, observed the following noncompliance to 9 CFR 313.1(a) resulting in animal holding pen 10 being rejected for use with regulatory control tag B450400612 due to facilities not being maintained in good repair. Specifically, I observed that the metal automatic livestock watering bowl was torn and had jagged triangular metal points and sharp edges near the mounting bolts that could cause injury to animals (no injuries to livestock were observed at this time). I took immediate regulatory control by placing the above referenced tag on pen 10 rejecting it for use and notified Mr. REDACTED, Barn Supervisor of the regulatory noncompliance. Upon further inspection of other animal livestock pens, I observed more of the same type damage (jagged and torn triangular metal with sharp edges) in pens 9, 11, and 14 that could cause injury to animals. No animals were in the pen at the time I noted the noncompliance. I took regulatory control and rejected the livestock pens for further use. (Pen 9 (B045400609), Pen 11 (B45-400613), and Pen14 (B45-400614)). Regulatory control was relinquished at 1405 hours by FSIS IPP once the damaged bowls were removed by establishment maintenance personnel.