Upper Iowa Beef LLC: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2023 (USDA)

313.1,313.2

At approximately 1400 hours while performing post-mortem inspection at the viscera table on 9/29/2023, I, REDACTED CSI, heard cattle vocalizing continually at the restrainer box. I went to investigate and observed three cattle in the restrainer box. The first animal nearest the head restrainer in the restrainer box with ear tag #111, was in sternal recumbency, the second animal in the stunning restrainer with ear tag #192 was behind #111 in left lateral recumbency. I observed #192 had a complete compound fracture of the right front leg at the fetlock; the skin was torn and frank blood was visible. A third animal was over the top of the two recumbent animals in the restrainer box. The third animal was eventually able to be backed off the two recumbent cattle and backed down the alleyway into the round pen. I took a regulatory control action and stopped the line; I left the floor and summoned my direct supervisor Dr. REDACTED SPHV to a humane handling situation at the restrainer. Ear tag # 111 was able to stand on its own and was rendered unconscious and dropped out of the restrainer box. Ear tag # 192 was unable to rise and was euthanized in the restrainer box. U.S. rejected tag No. B-45414582 was adhered to the restrainer box. U.S. Condemn tag Z-5615844 was adhered to animal #192. U.S. Suspect M-2386995 was adhered to #111; this animal was observed to have approximately 20-30 cm areas of fresh bruising on the hide and corresponding tissue along the central shoulder and hip. This was trimmed and passed. QA Superintendent REDACTED gave the following verbal corrective actions to Dr. REDACTED. The four establishment employees would be re-trained to notify each other when there is a group of fractious animals and in the proper use of the guillotine gate leading into the restrainer. The restrainer was released at 1500 hours. Dr. REDACTED notified QA Superintendent REDACTED of the impending noncompliance with 9 CFR 313.1 &313.2 that would be recorded. Dr. REDACTED observed there was a gape on the north area at the floor and doorway between the alleyway and restrainer box that appeared could be the area large enough that a hoof would get caught. Before #192 was euthanized CSI REDACTED observed its back feet were caught in this gape and verbalized this to Production Superintendent REDACTED.

313.2

On 5/18/2023 at approximately 1000 hours while performing HATS task IV antemortem inspection, I, CSI REDACTED, observed a beef steer in lot #6 ear tag # 280 laterally recumbent right side down at the west end of the north pen with 4-5 head of cattle around the beef. The establishment employee had opened the west gate leading to the south pen and had walked back to open the east gate in order to move the cattle for inspection. I observed one beef stepping on the recumbent beef's brisket area, another beef stepping on his fore flank area, a third beef stepping on his rear flank area and fourth beef stepping on his rump. At this point I communicated to the establishment employee who was moving the cattle from the east end of the north pen to stop moving the group and I asked QA REDACTED to call for his supervisor QA Kill Supervisor REDACTED. I informed Mr. REDACTED of the situation and that I would be taking a regulatory control action by placing U.S. Rejected tag #B-45414998 on the restrainer and contacting my supervisor. The recumbent beef rose to its feet while I was placing the reject tag on the restrainer; I observed his gait to be very unsteady and slower than the rest of the beef in the same lot. Quality Assurance Superintendent REDACTED gave verbal corrective actions, the reject tag was removed from the restrainer and operations resumed. The carcass corresponding to beef ear tag #280 was marked as carcass #164. I performed a zero tolerance inspection on the carcass at the zero tolerance inspection area at approximately 1245 hours. I observed a bright red hematoma approximately four inches in width extending from the lower inner left hind limb extending to the hock.

313.15(a)(2)

At 1344 hours on 4/18/2023, as I was verifying HATS Category VII Observation for Slips & Falls, I REDACTED CSI, observed the following noncompliance. The establishment employee opened the gate swinging the gate in towards the cattle that were in the northeast pen; he was moving the cattle for ante mortem inspection to be performed. The establishment employee walked into the northeast pen along the north wall with the cattle. The cattle were observed to bunch up in a group as he entered the pen and three of the beef moved away from him towards the gate near the water tank. When the three cattle got to the gate opening, they did not have a straight path to the next pen as they had to adjust to move through the narrowing area of the gate frame structure, when they did this the middle beef slipped and fell to the ground with its belly touching the ground and its back legs splaying out to opposite sides. This beef did rise to its feet and did not appear to have any external injuries. The floor had wet manure on it with some of the concrete grooving visible. I informed QA REDACTED, who was standing with me on the catwalk that I would be documenting this incident in a noncompliance record. I asked Mr. REDACTED to contact his supervisor. When slaughter QA Supervisor REDACTED arrived, I informed him of the noncompliance and that I would be documenting it in a noncompliance record.

313.15(a)(2),313.2

At approximately 0840 hours I was asked to perform ante mortem inspection (HATS Category IV). When I arrived in the ante mortem room on the catwalk, I watched the last seven beef animals from the previous lot be moved into the alleyway prior to the restrainer and observed the following noncompliance with HATS Category VII-Slips and Falls. I observed the last few animals move into the alleyway at faster than a walking pace. The sixth animal went down onto its front legs diving its head under the one in front of it which was the fifth animal in the alleyway; a seventh animal was moved into the alleyway and the sliding door between the triangular pen and alleyway was closed. The fifth animal backed up over the top of the sixth animal which collapsed to a sternally recumbent position. I verbalized to quality control technician REDACTED that an animal was down in the alleyway, I also verbalized this to the establishment employees moving the animals. There was no action taken to release the animals from the alleyway into the triangular pen. I walked out of the ante mortem room to go to the restrainer; two of the seven beef had been moved through the restrainer and stunned before I arrived at the restrainer. I took a regulatory control action by placing U.S. Rejected tag #B-45414570 on the restrainer controls. I informed dirty side slaughter supervisor REDACTED, production superintendent REDACTED and quality control superintendent REDACTED of the regulatory control action and noncompliance record to be issued. I observed the recumbent animal regain it’s footing and the remaining five animals were backed into the south pen through the triangular and round pens. I did not observe injuries to these animals at this time. Mr. REDACTED gave verbal corrective actions to retrain the establishment employees on how to prevent overcrowding in the alleyway; I removed the U.S. reject tag from the restrainer. Dr. REDACTED observed the five carcasses #102-107 that corresponded to the five animals that were in the alleyway. A bright red 3-4 inch hematoma was observed on the left flank of the #104 carcass. I am associating this noncompliance with NR# BYF0016033329/N-2.

313.2

At approximately 1240 hours I was asked to perform ante-mortem inspection (HATS category IV). I was standing near the door on the upper walkway platform and observed the following noncompliance with HATS VII-Slips and Falls. The employee opened the gate at the west end of the north pen leading into the south pen and went back to the northeast corner through the south pen to the area by the outdoor overhead door. He was trying to swing the north pen gate open to move the approximately 40 head of cattle from the rear of the group in the north pen into the south pen. He continued to try to get the whole group of beef to move as a bunch, some were facing east, and some were facing west; most did not appear to have room to re-orient as they were bunched together. The west end of the group did not turn around to move into the south pen, the employee came back to make sure the gate to the south pen was pushed open and went back to the northeast gate again. He was shaking a shaker paddle and vocally trying to get them to move. At approximately 1248 hours the beef did start to push and shove, making some progress towards the south pen. I then observed a beef lying on its side longwise in the gate opening of the middle of the north pen where the pen narrows to accommodate a gate. I observed four beef go through the gated area, walking near the down beef’s head and hind quarters. Once the four animals passed through the area the down beef got up and walked. While this was going on a second beef had fallen onto its four legs with its belly touching the floor to the east of the first down beef. The second animal got back up on its own. Neither beef appeared to have external injuries. The pen floor was covered in a coating of wet manure, the waffle cut in the concrete floor was visible. I informed Quality Control Technician REDACTED to have the cattle stop from being moved further. I took regulatory control and applied U.S Rejected tag #B-45414973 to the restrainer. I informed Quality Control Superintendent REDACTED of the noncompliance. After verbal corrective actions of re-training the establishment employees responsible for moving cattle to identify cattle improperly oriented for forward movement and how to orient them in the proper position when it’s safe for the establishment employees before attempting to move them were provided. The establishment employee training occurred, I removed my tag and slaughter operations resumed.

313.2

At 1340 hours, as I was verifying HATS Category IV Ante Mortem Inspection in the indoor pen, I, REDACTED CSI, observed the following noncompliance. I observed an establishment employee aggressively tapping approximately four to five beef animals in the “V-shaped” termination of the round pen, with the broad side of the rattle paddle and then throw the rattle paddle down on the platform. The employee then used the handheld electric prod (HHEP) and touched six of the eight beef animals on the back side and the rounds, while they were crowded toward the cement wall and the closed round pen gate facing opposite the alley way with no pathway to walk away from the HHEP. I did not hear vocalization, nor did I see movement or slipping from the beef animals being touched by the (HHEP). I was standing next to REDACTED, QA, on the observation catwalk area, when this occurred, I informed Ms. REDACTED that the prodding had to stop and asked her to call a supervisor. She called for REDACTED, QA Superintendent. I then took a regulatory control action and placed a US Rejected tag # B-45414999 on the stunning box controls after alerting REDACTED, Slaughter floor supervisor, that I was stopping production and contacting my supervisor. As I was walking off the slaughter floor, I informed Mr. REDACTED of the humane handling and notified him of the regulatory control actions I was taking, and the forthcoming noncompliance record. Corrective actions were verbalized to Dr. REDACTED by REDACTED, Cattle Purchaser; Plant manager REDACTED, Mr. REDACTED, Production Superintendent REDACTED, and Kill QA Supervisor REDACTED were also present in the conversation. Dr. REDACTED removed the US Reject tag and slaughter operations resumed. Dr. REDACTED released the stunning chute at 1353.