Clemens Food Group, LLC: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2023 (USDA)

313.5

At approximately 1510 hours, while performing HATS Category VIII Stunning Effectiveness, I noticed a hog that had been CO2 stunned and lying on the conveyor belt before shackling. Upon closer examination, I observed that the hog was breathing rhythmically, had an intact palpebral reflex, looking around and was repeatedly attempting to right itself, but was unable to do so. I determined that this hog was conscious. At that point, one of the establishment’s employees took immediate corrective action by using a back-up hand-held captive bolt to stun the hog in question, and I observed the animal was properly re-stunned. While I was looking for a QA to notify him of the noncompliance, REDACTED (Lead) asked the same employee to stun the hog again for a security knock. The employee then shackled, hoisted and bled the unconscious animal and I allowed the stunned hog to move through the slaughter process. I notified REDACTED (QA) of the noncompliance and instructed him to find the cause of this incident to prevent any needless pain to other animals. This noncompliance is in violation of 9 CFR 313.5(a)(1) "Administration of gas required effect; handling. (1) The carbon dioxide gas shall be administered in a chamber in accordance with this section so as to produce surgical anesthesia in the animals before they are shackled, hoisted, thrown, cast, or cut. The animals shall be exposed to the carbon dioxide gas in a way that will accomplish the anesthesia quickly and calmly, with a minimum of excitement and discomfort to the animals. In swine, carbon dioxide may be administered to induce death in the animals before they are shackled, hoisted, thrown, cast, or cut."

313.2

01/20/2023 at approximately 1415 hours, while preforming a routine HATs category IV and VI task I observed that there were pigs being unloaded and driven into a pen for antemortem inspection, I observed a team member with a rattle paddle hitting hogs excessively. I observed the team member raise his arm with the paddle at shoulder height, with his elbow bent and hit the pigs with force. I observed multiple pigs within this group of swine with marks approximately 6 inch x 8 inch in size that resembled a rattle paddle mark on the North West side of the barn. No regulatory control action was taken at this time due to what I saw were the last roughly 10 hogs of the trailer being moved into the pen. I informed REDACTED and Plant Manager REDACTED at the same time of my findings and that I would be issuing an NR. 9CFR 313.2 states: (b) Electric prods, canvas slappers, or other implements employed to drive animals shall be used as little as possible in order to minimize excitement and injury. Any use of such implements which, in the opinion of the inspector, is excessive, is prohibited. Electrical prods attached to AC house current shall be reduced by a transformer to the lowest effective voltage not to exceed 50 volts AC.