Brother's Halal Meat Packing: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2024 (USDA)
See the detail of the non-compliance of humane livestock handling that the USDA observed at the Brother's Halal Meat Packing slaughterhouse establishment in 2024.
You can also see other establishments that were non-compliant in 2024.
313.2
Category III - Water and Feed Availability At approximately 10:30 am, I entered the pen area and observed a group of lambs in the back right pen. I examined the two blue watering tanks that supply water to that pen. Both watering tanks were empty. The lambs did not have access to water; this is a failure to comply with 9 CFR 313.2(e). The noncompliance was shown to the slaughter floor foreman and to Mr. REDACTED. They instructed an employee to immediately fill both watering tanks and the employee did so. Mr. REDACTED was informed that the noncompliance would be documented in a noncompliance record.
313.1
Category IV- Ante-mortem Inspection On 04/24/2024, at approximately 11:30 AM and after slaughter was completed for the day, Dr. REDACTED and CSI REDACTED spoke to management about their observations of the restraining box. Upon inspection of the restraining box, there were multiple areas of sharp protruding metal on the inside of the gate, including an area around the bottom hinge of the gate. These pieces of metal could injury, especially the protruding metal around the lower hinge since it was approximately 6 inches from the ground. Dr. REDACTED and CSI REDACTED showed the areas of concern to the slaughter floor manager and told him that it needed to be repaired prior to next day’s slaughter. In addition, prior to leaving the facility for the day, CSI REDACTED spoke with the employee that was repairing gate and pointed out again the repairs that were expected. Upon arrival today (April 25, 2024) and after the slaughter floor manager requested AM inspection, most of the repairs were done; however, the protruding metal around the lower hinge of the gate had not been removed or repaired. Slaughter was delayed and a US rejected tag, #B 3773974 was placed on the restraining box until the repairs were completed as per 9 CFR 313.50(a). The establishment immediately took corrective action and completed the repairs. The restraining box was repaired in less than 30 minutes. This is in direct violation of 9 CFR 313.1(a).
313.2
Category III - Water and Feed Availability At approximately 9:45 am, I entered the new pen area and checked the occupied pens for water. The water trough in Pen 2 had a layer of ice on top. The goats in the pen were not able to access liquid water. In addition, there were approximately 20 lambs on the dock area and they did not have access to water. The pen plant employee was notified that water need to be available to the animals at all times and a bucket of water was provided to the lambs and the ice was broken in the water troughs of Pen 2 that contained goats. Availability of water was also checked in the old pen area and the back 2 pens that share a blue waterer was empty. In addition, the right hand back pen with older small ruminants had 2 frozen buckets of water. The animals in these 2 pens did not have access to water. Several plant employees were notified and water provided to the animals. The establishment failed to meet the regulatory requirements of 9 CFR 313.2(e) which states "Animals shall have access to water in all holding pens and if longer than 24 hours, access to feed." Mr. REDACTED was verbally notified of the noncompliance and that a noncompliance record would be issued.
