Colorado Lamb Processors: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2024 (USDA)

313.1

HATS Category VII: Slips and Falls On Wednesday February 7, 2024, at approximately 1000 hours I, the DVMS, observed the following noncompliance. I was performing a humane handling verification visit with the CSI’s, SPHV and DDM. While standing on the west side of the covered holding pens and observing establishment employees drive approximately seventy (70) lambs from the holding pen into the covered alleyway and then from the alleyway into the covered sloped graded concrete chute, I observed three different lambs slip and fall in the alleyway at the entrance of the chute. The first lamb observed to have slipped, fell fully onto its sternum. The second lamb observed to have slipped, fell onto both front limbs and its chin contacted the floor. The third lamb observed to have slipped, fell fully onto its sternum. All three animals were able to rise on their own and I did not observe any of the animals to have sustained any injuries, therefore, no regulatory control action was taken. I verbally informed the Food Safety Quality Assurance Manager of my observations, who immediately requested for maintenance to come put more sand down in the alleyway and chute, that a noncompliance record would be issued. There have been no noncompliance records of the same root cause issued within the past 90 days. The establishment is currently operating within the deferral period for a Notice of Intended Enforcement and therefore cannot be considered robust.

313.30(a)(4)

HATS Category IX: Return to Consciousness On Monday, December 18, 2023, at approximately 0800 hours while observing on the kill floor, I, the SCSI, observed a lamb coming through the window from the stun box to the bleed table that was unconscious, following an electrical current stun, which returned to consciousness. The lamb was stiff and in right lateral recumbency as it exited the brisket conveyor restraint and slid down the ramp to the Halal bleed table. As the establishment employee went to flip the lamb into left lateral recumbency on the table for the Halal shochet to make his ritual cut, the lamb stood completely up on the table and tried to escape. A plant employee immediately covered the lamb with his body so that the lamb could not escape. A floor supervisor retrieved the backup hand-held captive bolt (HHCB) device, then the Slaughter Supervisor arrived and retrieved the backup HHCB device from the floor supervisor and render the manually restrained animal insensible with one stun attempt with the HHCB device. I tagged the stun area at 0806 hours with USDA Rejected Tag B45969866. I verbally informed the HACCP Coordinator of the incident, and that the establishment could clear out the line but nothing else could be slaughtered until we got further instructions. 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 implemented a Robust Systematic Approach to the Humane Handling of Livestock. IPP removed USDA Retained Tag at 0952 hours.

313.2

HATS Category III: Water and Feed Availability Wednesday, November 29, 2023, at Colorado lamb processors while outside at the holding pens performing ante-mortem inspection at approximately 0700 hours, while walking down the walkway on the west side of the holding pens, I noticed that all the holding pens were full of lambs. Upon arriving to the west side of holding pen one, located next to the leader lambs pen, I observed three lambs being held in the east side of pen one. The three lambs did appear to be in good condition. The swing gate that separates pen one in half was in use dividing pen one into two sections. The swing gate was latched and later verified as latched with the yard employee. The three lambs that were being held in that lower section of pen one did not have any access to water as there was no bucket available in that half of pen one and the swing gate dividing pen one was latched, which access to water is required per the ante-mortem regulations. I informed the yard employee immediately. The yard employee hadn’t realized that there were lambs being held in pen one. I observed the yard employee immediately remedy the situation and open the swing gate to allow the three lambs access to water, therefore no regulatory control action was taken. I related my concerns to the quality manager about the lambs not having access to water. The quality manager asked if the swing gate was latched, and I told the quality manager that the swing gate was latched as verified with the yard employee, but the either way the lambs didn’t have any way to get to the water. I was informed by the yard employee that the lambs had been dropped off at approximately 2000 hours on November 28th, by REDACTED. I verbally notified the Quality Manager that I would be seeking guidance from my supervisor on how the situation would be documented. § 313.2 Handling of livestock. (e) Animals shall have access to water in all holding pens... The District Veterinary Medical Specialist was contacted through supervisory channels. There have been no noncompliance records issued for the same root cause in the past 90 days. This establishment operates under a robust systematic approach to the humane handling of livestock.