OCC Legacy Cuts: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2023 (USDA)

313.15(a)(1)

HATS Category VIII - Stunning Effectiveness At approximately 1230 on 9/27/2023 at est. M4779, IPP observed the following noncompliance,. A excitable beef cow was placed into the stun box and head catch and the establishment employee attempted to stun the animal with a handheld captive bolt (HHCB) device. This first stun attempt was ineffective, as the animal remained standing and was observed to be breathing erratically, but there was no vocalization. IPP immediately motioned for the establishment employee to apply the HHCB device a second time. The second stun attempt was also ineffective, as the animal remained standing but there was no vocalization. The third stun attempt was administered by the establishment employee now using the backup 12-gauge shotgun, which was readily available at the stun box, and was successful at rendering the beef cow insensible to pain and remained insensible during the shackling, hoisting, and bleeding process. As it was the last animal of the day, no US Reject tag was applied to the stun box. IPP verbally notified the HACCP Coordinator and Plant Manager of the forthcoming noncompliance. Upon inspection of the dressed head, I observed a penetrating HHCB hole high up on the skull and an additional penetrating HHCB hole low on the skull with the central shotgun hole. The Denver Management Team was notified through supervisory channels. The establishment currently operates under a robust systematic approach to livestock humane handling and performed quarterly humane handling audits. There has been no noncompliance of the same or similar cause in the last 90 days. The establishment owner has taken disciplinary action with the stun operator and his assistant and scheduled retraining for 9/28/23 at 0700 hours.

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

On Tuesday 10/4/2022 at approximately 0900 hours while performing postmortem inspection, I, the CSI observed the following noncompliance. It took six stuns to render a single beef heifer unconscious. I heard the first stun attempt with the hand-held captive bolt (HHCB) device and heard the beef vocalize. I heard the second stun attempt with the HHCB device but no vocalization. I heard the beef roll out of the stun box and heard a third stun attempt with the HHCB device to which the beef vocalized. I arrived at the bleed pit on the slaughter floor after the employee had hoisted the beef by all four legs (i.e. in a hammock-like position) and observed the employee stick the beef for bleeding. As the employee stuck the beef, I observed the animal vocalize, and try to move away from the stick with its eyelids open and eyes rolling. I observed the beef rhythmically breathing while hanging and bleeding from the neck stick. I told the employee that the beef was not sufficiently stunned and that he needed to stun the beef. I observed the employee reload the HHCB device and apply fourth stun attempt which was ineffective. The beef was still breathing and attempting to vocalize. I observed the animals mouth opening and closing with lips quivering but no audible noise being produced, and the tongue continued to remain inside the mouth. I prompted the stun operator to apply another stun attempt. The fifth stun attempt with the same HHCB device was ineffective, and the beef was still breathing and attempting to vocalize with eyes rolling. I again prompted the stun operator to take another stun attempt. This sixth stun attempt with the same HHCB device rendered the beef fully unconscious whereas I observed the tongue drop limply from the mouth and the eyes stop rolling. All stuns were made with a single HHCB device, I did not observe a backup stunning device at the stun box. I verbally informed the employee that no more animals could be slaughtered, and I applied U.S. Rejected B45725021 to the stun box on the slaughter floor. I inspected the head and observed a grouping of five penetrating stun holes below the target zone and a single penetrating stun hole within the target zone. The Denver District Management Team was contacted through supervisory channels. This establishment does not operate under a Robust Systematic Approach to Humane Handling of Livestock. There have been no noncompliance records issued in the past 90 days for the same root cause