ZYK Enterprises, Inc.: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2022 (USDA)

313.2(f),313.2

HATS Category IX: Conscious Animals on the Rail At approximately 0645 while observing the ritual slaughter process, FSIS IPP observed establishment employees restrain a mature goat in left lateral recumbency and apply the ritual cut. After the ritual cut was applied, IPP observed the establishment employees continue restraining the animal for a few seconds before releasing the animal. Once released from restraint, ending the ritual exemption period, the animal stood up and walked a few feet forward in the slaughter area. The animal did not vocalize but was alert with its head held upright and reacting to external stimuli, demonstrating full consciousness. An establishment employee gripped the animal’s left hind leg and pulled the standing animal approximately 10 feet back into the bleeding area. The establishment then applied a second ritual cut, extending the incision laterally through skin and muscle on either side, on the standing and conscious mature goat. After applying the second cut, establishment employees restrained the animal until it lost consciousness. After verifying the animal was insensible, FSIS IPP took a regulatory control action and applied US Retain/Reject tag #B22079783 to the holding box. FSIS IPP notified plant management of the regulatory control action.

313.2

HATS Category IV: Handling During Antemortem Inspection At approximately 0643 hours at Est M9325, CSI REDACTED and SPHV Dr. REDACTED were observing the ritual slaughter of mature sheep, when a conscious ewe was being manually restrained for the ritual cut by an establishment employee, but was being repeatedly kicked in the face by a large unconscious ram exhibiting a strong kicking reflex of its hind legs. I observed the conscious ewe struggle against the restraint to get away from the kicking by bucking and moving its head up and away from the reflex kicks. CSI REDACTED verbally notified establishment employees to either remove the unconscious ram or release the restraint of the conscious ewe to prevent injury and harm from occurring to the ewe. The establishment employees elected to wait until the unconscious ram stopped exhibiting the kicking reflex to move the animal. Approximately five sheep later, a similar incident occurred at 0650 hours in which a manually restrained conscious animal was being repeatedly kicked in the face by an unconscious animal’s reflexes who was in close proximity on the floor. Again, this sheep resisted manual restraint, vocalized, and attempted to move its head out of the way of the reflex kicks but was unsuccessful due to being manually restrained to the ground by an establishment employee. CSI REDACTED verbally notified establishment employees to move the conscious animal to prevent the reflex kicks from striking the conscious sheep. The establishment employees moved the unconscious animal approximately 1⁄2 meter away to prevent the kicks from affecting the conscious sheep. This incident is noncompliant with 9 CFR 313.2(a). REDACTED, Owner, was verbally notified of the noncompliance. There have been no non-compliances for the same root cause documented within the last 90 days.