America's Heartland Packing, LLC: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2025 (USDA)
See the detail of the non-compliance of humane livestock handling that the USDA observed at the America's Heartland Packing, LLC slaughterhouse establishment in 2025.
You can also see other establishments that were non-compliant in 2025.
313.15(a)(1)
Category VIII -Stunning Effectiveness At approximately 1222 hours on 06/11/2025, I, DVMO REDACTED and DVMO Dr. REDACTED, observed the following noncompliance. Two employees were observed in pen 23A with a non-ambulatory disable beef cow. They placed a halter on the cow's head while she was upright in sternal recumbency. The first employee held the halter lead while the second employee retrieved the captive bolt device. The second employee applied the captive bolt device to the cow's forehead, and it discharged. The cow surged forward trying to get to her feet and bellowed. The employee grabbed his second captive bolt device and discharged it against the cow's forehead in the same place. The cow collapsed to the ground insensible and in lateral recumbency. He immediately reloaded the device and gave a security knock to the back of the poll, followed by inserting the pithing rod. The cow was then slashed and denatured. This is a failure to meet the requirements of 9 CFR 313.15 which requires the establishment to render an animal unconscious with a single application of the stunning method. I informed QA REDACTED and Director of Harvest REDACTED of the forthcoming noncompliance. A review of recently documented noncompliance did not show any for similar cause.
