Nicholas Meat LLC: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2024 (USDA)

313.2

On 7-11-2024 I found the following non-compliance. On 7-10-2024 a load of cattle had arrived at establishment 4465 Nicholas meat LLC. The animals were presented for ante-mortem inspection and signed by me at 14:02 on 7-09-2024. This animal was put in pen C with a bull. The bull was slaughtered but the cow was left behind. This animal was then held overnight. It was then presented for ante-mortem inspection today as lot # 1. The animal is in pen E. The ante-mortem card was signed at 06:57 this morning. There are no feed records for this animal. There is no evidence of hay remnants in the pen. This animal is currently still in the barn at 15:00 today. The animal is in pen E currently. This is over the 24-hour period the establishment has to feed animals. I Notified QA manager REDACTED of the Non-compliance. This in noncompliance with 9 CFR 313.2(e), this is under HATS category Water and feed availability.

313.2

HATS Category IV - Handling During Ante-Mortem On Friday October 6, 2023 at approximately 12:50 pm while performing routine Humane Handling duties I was called up to the end of the serpentine tack directly before the stun box. CSI REDACTED informed me that he had witnessed a bull being loaded into the stunning box. Another bull was in the serpentine track, and it charged forward into the loaded bull before it could be blocked by establishment personnel. This bull went up over the hind end of the bull loaded in the stun box and then flipped and went down at the top of the serpentine track. Per my direction US Retained Tag No B-46034481 was applied to the stun box. Mr. REDACTED HACCP Manager was also monitoring the situation and was informed no more stunning would be allowed until the tag was removed. The establishment was able to effectively stun the animal in place. Following chain of command, the District Office was contacted and after discussing the incident the tag was removed and slaughter was allowed to continue. Mr. REDACTED HACCP Manager was notified of this noncompliance. This is a noncompliance of 9 CFR 313.2(a).

313.15(a)(3)

HATS Category VIII- Stunning Effectiveness On Wednesday October 04, 2023, at approximately 10:49 while performing routine Humane Handling duties in the barn the following noncompliance was observed. On a double decker semi-truck parked at the unloading ramp I observed a Holstein cow that would not unload, was fractious, and charging the plant staff. A plant employee attempted to stun the cow, using a captive bolt device to the forehead of the cow. As the stun was applied the cow turned its head to its left and raised its nose to the ceiling of the trailer. The cow remained standing and had a small bleeding wound to the center of its head about 2” below eye level. The cow did not appear to be in distress. I then asked barn manager REDACTED, to call Dr. REDACTED SPHV to the barn and she arrived immediately. Mr. REDACTED HACCP Manager and Mr. REDACTED plant manager arrived to assist their employees with the situation. Under Dr. REDACTED supervision plant employees were able to get the cow off the trailer and into the secondary stunning box. Dr. REDACTED was able to assess the cow and pass it for ante-mortem inspection. During this time per direction of Dr. REDACTED, I took regulatory control by placing U.S. RETAINED TAG B-46 063508 on the stun gun in the knock box and informed Mr. REDACTED there would be no more stunning until the situation was resolved. After the cow was loaded into the secondary knock box it was properly restrained and stunned. The cow was then taken into the establishment by a secondary entrance. Dr. REDACTED DVMS and Dr. REDACTED DDM were contacted. Based on a review of the corrective actions the plant used following their robust humane handling plan U.S. RETAINED TAG B-46 063508 was removed and slaughter was allowed to continue. Mr. REDACTED HACCP Manager and Mr. REDACTED plant manager were notified of this noncompliance. This is a noncompliance of 9 CFR 313.15(a) (3).