Sustainable Meats LLC: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2023 (USDA)

313.2(f)

HATS Category VII: Stunning Effectiveness On April 25th, at approximately 1009 hours, the CSI observed the following during a routine humane handling task: The establishment loaded a beef in the stun box and applied an initial stun utilizing a hand-held captive bolt (HHCB) device. After the first stun attempt, the beef remained standing; the eyes began to roll inward but then moved outward and began to move in a slow scanning motion, but there were no signs of distress or other movement, and no vocalization. The stun operator immediately applied a second stun attempt, with a backup HHCB device, similarly to the first, which dropped the beef and rendered the animal unconscious. The employee then tested the animal for reflexes by engaging the eye, there was no reaction. The establishment then hoisted and bled the animal. Upon inspection of the head, the two stun attempts were in close proximity to each other and in the center of the forehead. The CSI verbally notified the firm of the noncompliance, and the District Office was notified through supervisory channels. US Rejected tag B39727295 was applied to the stun box. Upon supervisory instruction, the CSI removed the US Rejected tag and slaughter operations resumed. There have been no noncompliance records issued with the past 90 days for the same root cause. This establishment has not implemented a robust systematic approach to humane handling of livestock.

313.50

HATS Category IV: Ante-mortem Inspection/Facilities On April 4th, at approximately 0845 hours, the establishment effectively stunned a beef in the stunning box and was preparing to shackle the stunned animal. As the establishment hoisted the beef on the slaughter floor, there was a commotion in the outside alleyway, leading to the stun box. The establishment employees hoisted the stunned beef then exited the slaughter floor to address the commotion outside, and in so doing, left the door to the stun box ajar. I, too, exited the slaughter floor and observed a beef down on the floor, in the alleyway, with its head turned all the way to its side. The gate, which separates the staging pen from the alleyway, was not engaged, thereby allowing animals to enter the alley freely. The establishment was working on a solution when the downed beef righted itself and was able to stand on its own. After righting itself and standing, the beef jumped the short gate, which was in the closed position, into the stun box. With the stun box door being left ajar, the beef was able to enter the slaughter floor. I vacated to the office area, which contains a door with a window, to observe the slaughter floor. The beef had entered the slaughter floor and was dodging equipment when the animal slipped and ended up on the floor with its hind legs sprawled to the side. The rear right leg appeared to be broken. The establishment attempted to stun the animal on the slaughter floor but were unable to get close enough to apply an effective stun. Using its front legs only, the beef crawled, on its belly, back into the stun box, through the alleyway and back into the staging pen. The establishment was able to effectively stun the beef on the first stun attempt and bleed the animal in the staging pen area. I verbally notified the establishment that the stun box would be tagged and applied US Reject tag No. B39727296. Upon post-mortem inspection, the broken right hind leg was confirmed. The Denver District Management Team was notified through supervisory channels. There have been no noncompliance records issued for the same root cause within the past 90 days. This establishment has not implemented a robust systematic approach to the humane handling of livestock.