Johansen's Quality Meats: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2025 (USDA)

313.1,313.2

On 4/2/25, at approximately 1020 hours, while performing a Livestock Humane Handling Task, I, SPHV REDACTED, observed the following noncompliance: At approximately 1020 hours, Establishment Employee Marcos Luna drove the second cow of the day into the knock box, leaving two other cows in the indoor driveway area immediately preceding the knock box. While Mr. REDACTED was preparing to knock the cow with a captive bolt, the cow in front, closest to the knock box, became stressed, moving forwards and backwards in the driveway. It tried to turn around in an area of the driveway that forms a 90-degree angle. It fell once, with both forelimbs folding and the brisket area of the cow contacting the floor. The cow was able to successfully stand up and again tried to turn around in the driveway. During this second attempt, the cow again fell to the floor, with all four limbs folding under it and its brisket area again contacting the floor. This time, the cow struggled to rise, and when it did eventually rise, it had successfully turned around, directly facing the other cow in the driveway. Mr. REDACTED noticed the cow fall and turn around in the driveway, and he approached the two cows to try and separate them. However, this separation attempt was unsuccessful, and at approximately 1022 hours, Mr. REDACTED returned to the knock box, knocked the cow in the knock box, and released the knocked cow onto the slaughter floor. He then hoisted the knocked cow and exsanguinated it. At approximately 1024 hours, CSI REDACTED notified Mr. REDACTED that the two cows were still facing each other in the driveway and were becoming more distressed and needed to be separated. Mr. REDACTED returned to the driveway and unsuccessfully tried to separate the cows. During this separation attempt, both cows became more distressed, with vocalizations and multiple slips between the two. The cow nearest to the knock box briefly had its left hindlimb become stuck between the bars of the driveway rails while the cow farther from the knock box fell, with both forelimbs folding under it and its brisket area contacting the floor. During this time, CSI REDACTED left the slaughter floor to notify REDACTED, Plant Manager, of the situation. At approximately 1027 hours Mr. REDACTED arrived and was able to calm down the cows enough to successfully separate them. The first cow was placed in the knock box, and the gate near the 90-angle of the driveway was closed to prevent direction reversal of the second cow. The above represents noncompliance with 9 CFR 313.1(b), 9 CFR 313.1(d), and 9 CFR 313.2(a). Mr. REDACTED was notified of my findings and of the forthcoming noncompliance. The NR listed in block 6a is being associated with this NR due to similar root cause.

313.1,313.2

On 3/13/25, at approximately 1120 hours, while performing a humane handling routine verification visit, I, DVMS Dr. REDACTED, and SPHV Dr. REDACTED observed the following noncompliance: At approximately 11:10am, Mr. REDACTED, Establishment Employee, drove three cattle from the holding pen up the ramp and inside the slaughter building where the driveway continues to the knocking area. The first cow was driven into the flap style knock box, successfully knocked with a captive bolt at approximately 11:16am, and released into the slaughter floor via opening the flap. While the first cow was undergoing sanitary dressing procedures, the other two cows were left in the indoor driveway area immediately prior to the knock box with the plan to slaughter the next cow after lunch, at approximately 1:15pm. During this time, the cow in front (standing closest to the knock box) became stressed and moved forwards and backwards and tried unsuccessfully to turn around in an area of the driveway that forms a 90-degree angle that also had standing water covering the floor. During these attempts, this cow fell to the floor twice, with both forelimbs folding and the brisket area of the animal contacting the ground both times. The animal did not immediately rise and when it did rise, it struggled to do so. Dr. REDACTED notified Mr. REDACTED of the cow’s distress and that it had fallen in the driveway. He moved the front cow into the knock box to separate it from the other cow and try to minimize further excitement and falls. At approximately 11:30am, the second cow outside of the knock box also tried to turn around in the driveway. The second cow also fell, with all four limbs folding under it and its brisket area touching the floor and it stayed down momentarily before rising and standing. The above represents noncompliance with 9 CFR 313.1(b), 313.1(d) and 9 CFR 313.2 (a). REDACTED, Plant Manager, was notified of our findings and the forthcoming noncompliance. Mr. REDACTED stated that he would discuss the incident with his employee and the three plant procedures his employee did not follow: driving three animals up the driveway so close to the plant’s meal break; not closing a gate in the driveway to prevent direction reversal in the area of the 90 degree angle; and not mopping up the standing water in the driveway prior to driving the animals into the area.