Walt's Wholesale Meats, Inc.: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2024 (USDA)

313.1,313.2

HATS Category I - Inclement Weather and Category III - Water and Feed Availability On January 13th, 2024, I, the Supervisory Consumer Safety Inspector, observed the following noncompliance at establishment M6423. At approximately 0630 hours, while verifying water availability during inclement weather I observed that the two water barrels in pen 4/suspect pen had frozen over with a thick layer of ice and was thereby inaccessible. I further observed in pens 3 and 6 that the water level dropped down to less than a quarter of the height the barrels. These pens currently had cattle in them. I observed a cow in the pen attempt to drink this water but was unable to reach it as it was too low to be accessible. I verbally informed establishment management of my observations, and directly observed immediate and effective corrective actions therefore no regulatory control action was taken. After correlating with the SPHV I notified establishment management that I would be documenting my observations in a noncompliance report. A review of the establishment’s compliance history did not reveal a noncompliance report with the same root cause issued within the past 90 days. Although the establishment operates under a Robust Systematic Approach to the Humane Handling of Livestock, this event is evidence that it is not being maintained as implemented.

313.15(a)(1)

HATS Category VIII: Stunning Effectiveness At approximately 1115 hours, while monitoring the establishment stun cattle at the stun box on the slaughter floor. I, the CSI, observed a Holstien cow being stunned by a mechanical captive bolt device. The door of the stun box opened and the Holstein cow, which had just received a stun application by the stun operator, stumbled out of the stun box on wobbly legs and proceeded to stand straight up in the shackling/bleeding pit and stayed standing with head hanging. There was no vocalization nor other head movement. I set my stopwatch for timing and shouted over the slaughter floor noise to the stun operator to stop stunning other cattle and to get this cow properly stunned. I observed the stun operator struggling with the backup hand-held captive bolt (HHCB) device. I observed the Evisceration Supervisor retrieve the HHCB device from the stun operator and apply a second stun, which was effective at rendering the cow insensible three minutes after the initial ineffective stun. I observed the cow being checked by the establishment for unconsciousness and verify that it was fully insensible. I proceeded to report to my supervisor. U.S. Reject tag #B-46 562193 was applied to the stun box. The plant manager was verbally notified of the forthcoming noncompliance record. Upon inspection of the dressed head, two penetrating stun holes were observed. The Denver District Management Team was contacted 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.