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

313.15(a)(1)

At approximately 9:30 AM on 6/14/2023, at Stevens Abattoir, the following Humane Handling non-compliance was observed while on the slaughter floor. Category VIII-“Stunning Effectiveness” The IIC observed the plant owner run the second cow into the knock box and put it in the head gate, the head gate does not prevent the animal from moving its head side to side or up and down. The plant owner grabbed the captive bolt to knock the animal. While attempting to knock the animal, it would not hold its head still. Instead of the plant owner restraining the animals head with a pair of nose pliers like he normally does, the plant owner decided to stun the animal anyways. When the first shot of the captive bolt went off the animal lifted its head right before the shot went off. The animal did not go down, there was no vocalization, but the animal tensed up all four legs and its eyes got really wide and then started to blink, but never vocalized. The plant owner put a second round in the captive bolt and attempted to stun the animal a second time, the plant owner grabbed the pair of nose pliers and grabbed the animal's nose and restrained the animal's head. After the animal's head was restrained, the plant owner grabbed the captive bolt gun and administered the second shot. The animal went down immediately. The plant owner still administered a security shot with the captive bolt gun just to be on the safe side. The plant owner skinned the head for the IIC to examine the shot placement. The IIC observed three holes in the animal's head, all three holes were right around center mass and would fit in the area of a fifty-cent piece. From what the IIC observed the first shot did not penetrate downward towards the brain like the second and third shot did. The first shot did appear at less of an angle towards the back of the head. Regulatory control action was taken on the knock box with a USDA reject tag numbered B37241748. Plant Manager REDACTED was notified of the plants failure to comply with 9 CFR 313.15(a)(1)

313.16(a)(1)

While verifying HATS Category VIII - Stunning Effectiveness, at Stevens Abattoir (TA-46085), on 03/20/2023, at approximately 10:20 am, the following noncompliance was observed in the slaughter room: REDACTED plant owner, drove two hogs into the knock box and prepared his .22 rifle to dispatch the hogs. The IIC stepped out of the slaughter room and into the processing room. The first hog was incapacitated on the first shot and a safety shot was then fired shortly after. On the second hog, the first shot was fired and continuous vocalization from the hog was heard. IIC peeked around the corner and observed the hog was still standing with blood dripping from the nose. A second shot was heard shortly after which rendered the animal unconscious. Regulatory control action was taken on the knock box with U.S. Retained tag #B37241747. Upon inspecting the head, the first shot appeared low, possibility going into the nasal cavity, and the second shot was approximately 1⁄2 inch above the first shot. REDACTED Plant Owner, was cited with the failure to comply with 9 CFR 313.16(a)(1) and this serves as a written notification of humane handling noncompliance. This non-compliance is being linked to a similar non-compliance NR # CXM1209011004N dated 1/4/23. Previous corrective actions failed at being effective in preventing the reoccurrence. This non-compliance serves as written notification that failure to comply with regulatory requirements could result in additional regulatory or administrative actions.

313.1

On 3/2/23 while performing a Humane Handling Verification Task at Triad Meat Custom Processing (TA-46085) the following non-compliance was observed: When entering the holding pens from the parking lot, at first beam on the pen to the right has pulled away from the metal support beam in the floor. This is leaving a hole in the flooring approximately (3”x4”), where an animal could get its foot stuck. Regulatory Control Action was taken on the pen with USDA Rejected Tag # B37241745. REDACTED Plant Owner, was notified of the non-compliance with 9 CFR 313. 1(a)

313.1

On 2/7/2023 at approximately 9:30am, while verifying compliance with HATS Category IV: Handling during Ante-mortem Inspection at Triad Meat Custom Processing, TA-46085 the following noncompliance was observed in the loading chute: The IIC observed a nail protruding approximately 3⁄4 of an inch from a board near the left side of the entrance to the loading chute. No regulatory action was required due to the establishment’s immediate action. REDACTED plant manager, was notified of the non-compliance and failure to comply with regulatory requirement 9 CFR 313.1(a).

313.16(a)(1)

At approximately 8:45 AM on 1/4/23, at Stevens Abattoir TA 46085, the following noncompliance was observed. HATS Category VIII Stunning Effectiveness The plant owner walked a sow into the knock box and attempted to stun the hog using the 22 Magnum riffle. After the first shot the sow vocalized, the plant owner immediately followed up with a second shot with the same riffle. After the second shot the vocalization stopped. The plant owner followed up with a third shot with the same riffle. The plant owner stated that the second shot rendered the sow unconscious, and he took the third shot just to be on the safe side. The IIC took regulatory control action on the knock box with a USDA reject tag numbered B37241716. After reviewing the sows head, the IIC observed that the first shot was down almost even with the eye line, the second shot was directly in the top of the head and the third shot was in the forehead. Plant Owner REDACTED was notified of the plants failure to comply with 9 CFR 313.16(a)(1)

313.2

On 11/16/2022 at approximately 8:45 am, while verifying compliance with HATS Category III: Water and Feed Availability, the following noncompliance was observed in the establishments holding pens. The IIC observed that a cow that had been unloaded at approximately 8:10am, was in holding pen alley way (the alley closest to the unloading dock) without available water. No regulatory control action was taken due to a plant employee immediately providing the cow with water after being notified by IIC. Plant Owner, REDACTED was notified of the plants failure to comply with 9 CFR 313.2(e).

313.15(a)(1)

At approximately 1:00 PM on 10/13/22, at Steven’s Abattoir, while observing the slaughter operations the following non-compliance was observed. The plant employees brought all three lambs into the knock box, the employee stepped into the knock box grabbed the first lamb, stuck the captive bolt to the lambs’ head at what appeared to be center mass and pulled the trigger. At that time approximately 4 drops of blood came out of the lambs’ nose, but the lamb did not go do and there was no vocalization from the lamb. The plant employee immediately reloaded the captive bolt and followed up with a second shot in the same spot. More blood started to come out of the lambs’ nose, but the lamb still did not go down, and there was still no vocalization from the lamb. The plant employee immediately loaded a third round into the captive bolt but didn’t fire yet. After loading the third round into the captive bolt the employee looked at the IIC and said, “what do I do?”, the IIC stated “you need to do something”. At this time the plant employee immediately turned around and shot the third round out of the captive bolt into the top of the lambs’ head. The third shot from the captive bolt immediately rendered the lamb unconscious. Throughout the whole process there was no vocalization from the lamb. Slaughter operations were immediately stopped, and regulatory control actions were taken on the knock box with a USDA Reject tag number B-45613543. After reviewing the lambs head the first two shots with the captive bolt were in the center of the head but were below the eyeline. Plant Manager REDACTED was notified of the plants failure to comply with 313.15(a)(1).