Ruwaldt Packing Co.: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2023 (USDA)
See the detail of the non-compliance of humane livestock handling that the USDA observed at the Ruwaldt Packing Co. slaughterhouse establishment in 2023.
You can also see other establishments that were non-compliant in 2023.
313.30(a)(1)
This is a HATs category VIII—Stunning Effectiveness related noncompliance. On Monday January 2nd, 2023, at about 0605, while performing the Humane Handling task, specifically stunning effectiveness, the following noncompliance was observed. An employee tried to stun a goat with an electrical current stunner in the small room connected to the knocking area that leads to pen 6 which is connected to the knocking area by a sliding door. The employee had the animal cornered against the closed sliding door but nothing to restrain the animal in one place, so it was able to move around slightly, and he seemed to be “chasing” the animal with the stunner until it stopped moving enough to attempt the stunning. The animal was not fully stunned on the first attempt and only moved slightly after being touched by the prods. The second and third attempts were immediately after the initial attempt. After placing the prongs around the neck, the animal tried to escape by jumping on the door, vocalizing, and trying to get around the employee in the small room connected to the stunning area for both attempts. After the fourth attempt it was successful, the animal was unconscious and then shackled. Establishment CEO, REDACTED as well as REDACTED were immediately notified of the situation. REDACTED took corrective actions by telling the employee to switch to the compressed air device which had been brought out but was not being used as well as to ensure the spurs on the electrical current were not covered in hair from previous animals as this could lead to the current not being transferred fully. This is in direct noncompliance with 9CFR 313.30(a)(1) “The electric current shall be administered so as to produce, at a minimum, surgical anesthesia. The animals shall be either stunned or killed before they are shackled, hoisted, thrown, cast, or cut. They shall be exposed to the electric current in a way that will accomplish the desired result quickly and effectively, with a minimum of excitement and discomfort.” Management was notified an NR would be written for the issue.
