Jensen Meat Co. LLC: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2023 (USDA)

313.16(a)(1)

HATS Category VIII: Stunning Effectiveness On December 6, 2022, the Establishment M1529 stun operator entered the slaughter floor with a standard 22 caliber long rifle at approximately 0928 hours, approached the stun box and aimed the firearm at the pig’s head to apply the first stun attempt. The pig was a pot-bellied boar approximately 180lbs. The pig remained standing and moving around in the stun box after the first stun attempt. The animal was grunting as it continued to move around inside the stun box. The stun operator reloaded the firearm at 9:30 am and delivered a second ineffective attempt. Between 9:30 and 9:34 am the stun operator continued to attempt to stun the pig with the firearm three more times. With each concurrent stun attempt, the pig grunted, softly squealed and continued to move around inside the stunning enclosure. At this time the firearm was out of ammunition. At 9:34am the stun operator vacated left the slaughter floor to acquire more ammunition. The CSI then informed the slaughter floor employee that a potentially egregious humane handling non-compliance had occurred and that a U.S. Reject tag would be applied to the stunning area suspending further slaughter. The CSI and slaughter floor employee then approached the stun box and observed the pot-bellied boar standing and bleeding from the head. Between 9:34am and 9:36am the stun operator returned with more ammunition, reloaded the magazine and proceeded to attempt to stun the pig. During stun attempts six through eleven, the pig remained conscious, vocalizing loudly, and squealing after each stun attempt while the stun operator moved around the outside of the stun box. On stun application twelve, the pig collapsed to the floor but continued squealing and breathing rapidly. Two additional stun applications were taken. After the fourteenth stun attempt, the pig stopped vocalizing. The stun operator opened the stun box door to check the pig. At that at that time the pig was unresponsive. Absence of palpebral and corneal reflexes was demonstrated by the establishment stun operator. The carcass was dragged out of the stun box, stuck for bleeding and hoisted at 9:41am. The CSI then informed the establishment owner that a humane handling non-compliance record would be issued. A US Retain/ Reject tag NO. B-45 435477 was applied to the entrance of the stun box. The CSI notified his SPHV supervisor at approximately 9:44am. Upon inspection of the dressed head, I observed a grouping of penetrating stun holes producing an approximately two cm diameter larger hole in the target area. There were two penetrating holes outside the target area with one hole at the top of the skull of about 8 cm caudal to the initial grouping of and a second hole was approximately 2 cm caudal to the initial grouping of penetrating holes. The Denver District management team was notified through supervisory channels.