Western Meat Processing, Inc.: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2022 (USDA)

313.15(a)(1)

HATS VIII: Ineffective Stunning On Thursday, August 25, 2022, at approximately 1205 hours, I, Dr. REDACTED, SPHV, observed the following humane handling non-compliance. At approximately 1205 hours, while standing by the knock box performing HATS category VIII (Stunning Effectiveness), I observed a plant employee ineffectively stun a mature rodeo bull in the knock box.  The bull’s head was in the head restrainer, and he was moving his body and resisting restraint.  The plant employee applied and discharged the captive bolt gun on the bull’s forehead.  The bull remained standing and continued resisting restraint.  The plant employee immediately grabbed the loaded back-up captive bolt gun, and within approximately 5 seconds, he applied an effective captive bolt stun to the bull’s forehead.  The bull immediately collapsed in the knock box and was unconscious.  The plant employee then applied a third captive bolt stun to the back of the bull’s poll as a security knock. I then went to the slaughter floor and observed the bull’s head.  I observed two knock holes on the forehead and one knock hole on the back of the poll.  One of the knock holes on the forehead was in the middle of the forehead and a probing instrument indicated the path of the captive bolt was aimed towards the brain.  The other hole on the forehead was slightly lower and to the right, approximately 0.5 inches away from the other knock hole.  A probing instrument indicated the path of the captive bolt was aimed rostrally approximately 45 degrees, towards the lower mandible. I informed HACCP Coordinator REDACTED of the ineffective stun and I showed him the bull’s head.  I informed him of the forthcoming non-compliance. Captive bolt stunners must be applied to produce immediate unconsciousness.  This is a non-compliance of the regulatory requirements of 9 CFR 313.15(a)(1).  This non-compliance is linked to a similar non-compliance with the same root cause (ineffective stun), documented on 7/25/22 in NR# XTB2415071525N.

313.15(a)(1)

HATS Category VIII (Stunning Effectiveness) On Monday July 25, 2022, at approximately 0722 hours, I, Dr. REDACTED, SPHV, observed the following humane handling non-compliance. At approximately 0722 hours, I was outside performing ante-mortem inspection.  I observed a plant employee open the gate to the pen leading to the knock box, and I observed a recumbent Holstein dairy cow in the pen laying in sternal recumbency.  The plant employee retrieved a captive bolt gun to euthanize the cow.  I heard the first knock and then I looked over at the cow again and saw that she had remained in the same position, still laying in sternal recumbency and holding her head up.  Approximately 5 seconds later, I observed the plant employee administer a second knock on the cow’s forehead.  Immediately after the second knock, the cow’s head dropped and she went into lateral recumbency.  The plant employee administered a third knock on the back of the cow’s poll as a security knock.  When the cow was removed from the pen, I observed the cow’s head and I saw one knock hole in the middle of the forehead and one knock hole in the middle of the back of the poll.  Using a probing instrument, I found that the knock hole on the back of the poll had two different paths, confirming that the first knock was an ineffective stun.  One path was aimed dorsally towards the forehead, and the other path was aimed towards the brain. I applied U.S. Reject Tag# B45886187 to the knock box to stop all further stunning.  I informed HACCP Coordinator REDACTED of the ineffective stun and that I tagged the knock box.  Mr. REDACTED provided verbal corrective actions and the knock box was released at approximately 0748 hours. Captive bolt stunners must be applied to produce immediate unconsciousness, according to 9 CFR 313.15(a)(1).

313.2

HATS II: Truck Unloading On Wednesday March 9, 2022, at approximately 1210 hours, CSI REDACTED, SPHV Trainee Dr. REDACTED, and I, Dr. REDACTED, SPHV, observed the following humane handling non-compliance. At approximately 1210 hours, we were observing unloading and performing ante-mortem inspection of 4 fighting cows with horns. The fighting cows were being unloaded into the alley so they could run them straight to the knocking area. When the 4 cows reached the area in front of pen 6, a plant employee pulled on bailing twine connected to a gate in the alley to pull the gate closed behind the cows. One of the cows turned around and pushed against the closing gate, pushing her head and horns all the way through the horizontal metal bars of the gate, getting her head stuck. The other 3 cows also turned around and started running back down the alleyway, pushing the stuck cow’s body to the left, twisting her neck. The 3 cows then turned around again, and one of the cows ran into the cow that was stuck, pushing her body to the right. The stuck cow was then able to free her head from the gate, and she was able to walk but appeared dazed and slightly ataxic. All 4 cows were going back and forth up and down the alleyway for approximately 1-2 minutes, and during this time the cow’s ataxia got progressively worse and she went down on the ground and was laying sternal. Approximately 1-2 minutes later, she then became laterally recumbent. At this time, most of the plant employees had gone up towards the knock box and left the injured cow in the alleyway. There was still the driver and one or two plant employees near the cow, but no one was taking action to humanely euthanize the injured cow. IPP gestured to plant employees and pointed out the injured cow, and told them that the cow needed to be euthanized. Then IPP observed the driver grab the cow by her horns and pull her head back, dragging her upper body approximately 1-2 inches. IPP told the driver not to do that. The driver then grabbed the cow by the horns again and twisted her head, and then tried to push her body sternal. IPP again told the driver not to move the cow. After the driver stopped moving the cow, the cow was barely moving, her head was on the ground, her tongue was hanging out, and her hind legs were kicking slowly. Approximately 1 minute later, the establishment euthanized the cow with the captive bolt. It was approximately 5 minutes between the time that she had gone down and the time that the establishment euthanized her. IPP applied U.S. Reject Tag# B45886455 to the knock box to stop all further stunning. I informed QC Assistant REDACTED of the incident and that the knock box was tagged. Driving of livestock from the unloading ramps to the holding pens and from the holding pens to the stunning area shall be done with a minimum of excitement and discomfort to the animals. This is a non-compliance of the regulatory requirements of 9 CFR 313.2(a).

313.2

HATS III: Water and Feed Availability On Wednesday March 9, 2022, at approximately 0620 hours, I, Dr. REDACTED, SPHV, observed the following humane handling non-compliance. At approximately 0620 hours, I went outside to the ante-mortem pens and observed that a bull with backtag# 1550 was in pen #7. This bull had arrived on 3/7/22 with 3 other bulls and all 4 bulls were presented for ante-mortem on 3/8/22. However, the bull with back tag# 1550 did not fit in the ramp going to the stun box, so he was put back in pen #6 on 3/8/22, and remained there for the rest of the day. On 3/7/22, I had gone to the ante-mortem pens to perform ante-mortem at approximately 1200 hours, and at that time I observed the 4 bulls in the lane, so they had arrived prior to 1200 hours. On the morning of 3/9/22, I observed that the bull did not have any feed in pen #7 and I didn’t see any evidence of feed in any of the other pens, so I asked the establishment employees if the bull had been fed. The establishment employees said that they fed the bull in another pen late in the afternoon on 3/8/22. Upon further investigation, IPP determined that the 4 bulls had arrived on 3/7/22 at approximately 11:35 am, and the establishment said that the bull with backtag# 1550 was fed around 5:00 pm on 3/8/22. Therefore, the bull was held for approximately 29.5 hours without feed. I informed HACCP Coordinator REDACTED and Plant Manager REDACTED of my observations and the forthcoming non-compliance. Animals need to have access to feed if held for longer than 24 hours. This is a non-compliance of the regulatory requirements of 9 CFR 313.2(e).

313.15(a)(1)

HATS VIII: Ineffective Stunning On Tuesday, February 15, 2022, at approximately 1144 hours, I, Dr. REDACTED, SPHV, observed the following humane handling non-compliance. At approximately 1144 hours, while standing by the knock box performing HATS category VIII (Stunning Effectiveness), I observed a plant employee ineffectively stun a Jersey dairy cow in the knock box. The plant employee applied and discharged the captive bolt gun on the cow’s forehead. The dairy cow remained standing and lowered her head slightly. The plant employee opened the door and grabbed the loaded back-up captive bolt gun on the stairway, and within approximately 20-30 seconds, he applied an effective captive bolt stun to the back of the cow’s poll. The dairy cow immediately collapsed in the knock box and was unconscious. I applied U.S. Reject Tag# B45004923 to the knock box to stop all further stunning. I informed HACCP Coordinator REDACTED of the ineffective stun and that I tagged the knock box. I then went to the slaughter floor and observed the skinned head of the dairy cow that had been ineffectively stunned. I observed one knock hole low on the forehead and one knock hole in the middle of the back of the poll. The knock hole on the forehead was at the level of the lateral canthus and was approximately 1 inch to the left of midline. The knock hole was in the sinus and did not penetrate the brain. Captive bolt stunners must be applied to produce immediate unconsciousness. This is a non-compliance of the regulatory requirements of 9 CFR 313.15(a)(1).

313.2

On 1/13/22 at approximately 1048 hours, while walking through the ante-mortem pen areas during the establishment's lunch break, the following humane handling non-compliance was observed. I observed one Jersey cow in the holding pen leading to the knock box. The establishment was on their lunch break, and this cow had been left in the holding pen during the lunch break. There is no water in this pen, so the cow did not have any access to water. I immediately got the attention of a plant employee working outside in the pens, and told him that the cow needs to have access to water. The plant employee then moved the cow to pen #7, which has a water trough. I informed HACCP Coordinator REDACTED of my findings and the forthcoming non-compliance. Animals need to have access to water in all holding pens. This is a non-compliance of the regulatory requirements of 9 CFR 313.2(e).

313.15(a)(1)

HATS VIII: Ineffective Stunning On Friday October 29, 2021, at approximately 1150 hours, I, Dr. REDACTED, SPHV, observed the following humane handling non-compliance. At approximately 1150 hours, while standing by the knock box performing HATS category VIII (Stunning Effectiveness), I observed a plant employee ineffectively stun a dairy cow in the knock box. The plant employee applied and discharged the captive bolt gun on the back of the cow’s poll. The dairy cow remained standing and lowered her head. The plant employee said that the captive bolt didn’t hit the cow. He immediately grabbed the loaded back-up captive bolt gun, but the cow was repeatedly lowering her head out of reach, so it took approximately 1.5 minutes for the plant employee to apply an effective captive bolt stun to the back of the cow’s poll. The dairy cow immediately collapsed in the knock box and was unconscious. I followed the plant employee inside and observed the back of the cow’s poll once it had been hoisted. At that time, I could only see one hole on the back of the cow’s poll. At approximately 1205 hours, the skinned head of the cow was brought over to the head rack and I examined the head. I observed two knock holes on the back of the poll, which confirmed that the first captive bolt gun did contact the cow and was an ineffective stun. One knock hole was at the very top of the poll in the skull bone and a probing instrument indicated that the path of the bolt was aimed towards the forehead. The other knock hole was in the middle of the back of the poll. I applied U.S. Reject Tag# B45004853 to the knock box to stop all further stunning. I informed HACCP Coordinator REDACTED and HACCP QA Assistant REDACTED of the ineffective stun and that I tagged the knock box. Captive bolt stunners must be applied to produce immediate unconsciousness. This is a non-compliance of the regulatory requirements of 9 CFR 313.15(a)(1). This non-compliance is linked to similar non-compliances with the same root cause (ineffective stun), documented on 3/1/21 in NR# XTB1215032301N, on 4/13/21 in NR# XTB2209041714N, on 6/22/21 in NR# XTB0316060622N, and on 8/24/21 in NR# XTB2516081324N. Additionally, stunning concerns were discussed with the establishment on 6/16/21 (weekly meeting MOI# XTB3314061516E), on 6/30/21 (weekly meeting MOI# XTB1609072907E), on 7/8/21 (MOI# XTB4716072112G), on 7/29/21 (MOI# XTB2309082905G), on 9/22/21 (weekly meeting MOI# XTB0911095623E), and on 10/27/21 (weekly meeting MOI# XTB4614100327E).