Volunteer Meats LLC/412 Meat Processing: 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 Volunteer Meats LLC/412 Meat Processing slaughterhouse establishment in 2023.
You can also see other establishments that were non-compliant in 2023.
313.2
At approximately 3:15 I went out to do humane handling. I observed a pen with 6 swine with no access to water and a pen with one beef, with no access to water. At approximately 11:50 am this morning, I went out to perform humane handling and owner REDACTED had a stock trailer backed in to unload. I asked if they were unloading (one beef) and he stated, not yet, but he will be ok on there until we can unload. At 3:15, I observed an employee unloading the steer, so I went over to verify there was water access. There was no water on the trailer so the steer had been left on the stock trailer from approximately 11:50 to 3:15 without access to water. The outside temperature at 3:15 was 80 degrees. I notified Plant Manager, REDACTED of the noncompliance. At 3:42 I went back out to check the pens that were not in compliance at 3:15 and there was still no water in these 2 pens. I notified Plant manager REDACTED again of the noncompliance. The establishment failed to meet the requirements of the following Meat and Poultry regulations 9 CFR 313.2 (e) which states that animals must have access to water at all times.
313.15(a)(1),313.15(a)(3)
HATS Category VIII: Stunning Effectiveness At approximately 12:55 pm, on August 17, 2023, while conducting stunning effectiveness for Humane Handling, I observed the following noncompliance. A Beef Cow entered the knock box and was restrained with the head gate. The operator approached the bovine and administered the first stun with a handheld captive bolt which was ineffective. The Bovine initially dropped about halfway so the chute was opened, the bovine then stood completely up. She was repositioned back in the chute, restrained and the second attempt with the same handheld captive bolt gun was successful at rendering the animal insensible, and it remained so thereafter. REDACTED, Kill Floor Supervisor and owner REDACTED were notified of the noncompliance and the knock box was tagged with tag number B37579344.
313.2
At approximately 7:03, I observed pen #10 without access to water. There were 2 pans in the pen, but both were empty and dry. There are 9 swine in this pen. Plant Manager REDACTED was notified of the noncompliance. The establishment failed to meet the requirements of Meat and Poultry Regulation 9 CFR 313.2 (e) for access to water.
313.16(a)(1),313.16(a)(3)
HATS Category VIII: Stunning Effectiveness At approximately 1:27 pm, on March 28, 2023, while verifying stunning effectiveness for the Livestock Humane Handling Task, I observed the following noncompliance. A market swine was moved into the knock box and was restrained. The stun operator approached the swine and administered the first stun attempt with a .22 mag rifle, that contacted the animal, but was ineffective as evidenced by the animal vocalizing, remained standing and began moving around. The stun operator ejected the casing and administered an immediate and effective corrective action stun with the same rifle which rendered the animal insensible, and it remained so thereafter. REDACTED, Kill Floor Supervisor and Establishment Owner, Mr. REDACTED, were notified of the noncompliance. The knock box was tagged with tag number B37579296.
313.2
HATS Category IV - Ante-Mortem At approximately 1:46 pm, on March 13, 2023, while observing kill floor operations, I observed the following noncompliance. A steer entered the knock box and was restrained with the head gate. The establishment stun operator approached the bovine and administered the first stun attempt with a handheld captive bolt, which did not make contact with the animal, but the sound of the device discharging caused the bovine to become excited. The animal started vocalizing and trying to pull back. The operator then administered a successful stun with the backup 9mm firearm device which rendered the animal insensible, and it remained so thereafter. Establishment Owner, Mr. REDACTED was notified of the observed non-compliance with 9 CFR 313.2(a).
313.15(a)(1),313.15(a)(3)
HATS Category VIII: Stunning Effectiveness At approximately 7:25 am, on March 9, 2023, while conducting stunning effectiveness for Humane Handling, I observed the following noncompliance. A steer entered the knock box and was restrained with the head gate. The operator approached the bovine and administered the first stun with a handheld captive bolt which was ineffective, as evidenced by the animal remained standing and vocalizing. The stun operator delivered immediate and effective corrective actions with the backup 9mm firearm device which rendered the animal insensible, and it remained so thereafter. REDACTED, Kill Floor Supervisor and Plant manager REDACTED were notified of the noncompliance and the knock box was tagged with tag number B37579291.
