Innovative Foods, LLC: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2024 (USDA)

313.2(f),313.15(a)(3)

HATS Category VIII: Stunning Effectiveness On 5/3/2024 at approximately 8:20 hours while performing the livestock humane handling verification task the stunning procedure for immediate unconscious and remain unconscious I, the CSI, observed the following noncompliance. I was in the USDA Office and overheard a swine vocalizing loudly from the slaughter floor. I entered the slaughter floor and observed a swine in the stunning area standing, vocalizing and blood on its forehead. The stun operator had utilized a hand-held captive bolt (HHCB) device in an attempt to stun the animal. The animal started to vocalize after the ineffective stun attempt and did not collapse unconscious to the ground. I observed the stun operator reload the HHCB device and immediately attempt to stun the animal for the second time, but the stun attempt did not make contact with the animal. The stun operator reloaded the HHCB device and immediately tried for the third time to stun the swine. The stun was effective in rendering the animal unconscious and it remained unconscious throughout the shackling, hoisting, sticking, and bleeding process. I verbally notified the Slaughter Floor Supervisor that this was a noncompliance and that an NR would be issued. U.S. Reject Tag #B36181948 was applied to the stunning area. Upon inspection of the dressed head, two penetrating stun holes were observed. One stun hole was located within the targe zone, while another stun hole was outside the targe zone and did not contact the brain. 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 operates under a robust systematic approach to the humane handling of livestock.