Sinton and Sons Local Meats and Provisions: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2025 (USDA)

313.15(a)(1)

On 5/14/2025 at approximately 0724 hours, Consumer Safety Inspector, REDACTED, and Dr. REDACTED, SPHV observed the following while verifying HATS Category VIII, Stunning Effectiveness at Est. 40268A, Sinton & Sons Local Meat Provisions: CSI REDACTED and Dr. REDACTED observed Slaughter Employee, Ms. REDACTED, leaning adjacent to the beef cow in the knock box and secured in the head restraint. Ms. REDACTED stunned the cow with a 9mm Blitz hand-held captive bolt on the head, resulting in an ineffective stun. The beef cow remained standing, consciously lunged forward in the head gate, bellowed, and blinked when Ms. REDACTED touched the eye. Approximately 1 second from the initial stunning attempt, Slaughter Employee, Mr. REDACTED, followed up with the secondary pre-loaded 9mm Blitz hand-held captive bolt, immediately rendering the cow unconscious. The establishment failed to render the animal unconscious on the first stunning attempt. This represents a regulatory noncompliance with Title 9 CFR 313.15(a)(1). Dr. REDACTED, SPHV, observed the skinned skull of the cow which revealed evidence of one large hole secondary to the application of the 2 stunning attempts. The hole was in the center of the skull, however, the trajectory of one penetrated through the skull but toward the right eye. The trajectory of the second attempt had complete penetration and was perpendicular to the skull. Due to the ineffective stun, IPP tagged the entrance to the knock box with USDA Reject tag #B-45736471, per 9 CFR 313.50(c). IPP immediately notified and discussed with Establishment Manager, Mr. REDACTED, of the noncompliance. The establishment is currently operating under a verification plan due to a Notice of Suspension issued on 02/07/2025. This noncompliance record is associated with noncompliance JNE4415041116N/1 issued on 4/16/25.

313.15(a)(1)

On April 16th 2025, at approximately 1132 hours, I, CSI REDACTED, observed the following noncompliance while performing a Humane Handling Task and verifying HATS Category VIII, stunning effectiveness, for Est. 40268A, Sinton & Sons Local Meats and Provision Mobile Unit (hours 0700-1530): A market hog was in the knock box with Establishment employee Mr. REDACTED. He applied the Blitz 9mm captive bolt stunner to the hog’s forehead and fired. The hog squealed for about 2 seconds and remained on its feet. It then returned to regular grunting as prior to the stun application. Mr. REDACTED was then handed the second back up Blitz 9mm captive bolt stunner from establishment Supervisor Ms. REDACTED. He applied a second stun about five seconds after the first. Again, the hog squealed and remained standing. After a couple of seconds, the hog stopped the squeal and returned to grunting and was foraging around the pen for the food used to lure the hog into the pen. IPP did not observe any blood nor signs of injury at this time. The first Blitz 9mm captive bolt was reloaded by Ms. REDACTED and then given back to Mr. REDACTED. It took approximately 20 seconds for REDACTED to get the bolt on the location on the hog’s skull and fired a third attempt. After this stun, the hog dropped to the ground and made no vocalizations. The eyes rolled back, where Mr. REDACTED touched the eye and confirmed that there was no reaction. The third stunning attempt rendered the pig unconscious and then successfully bled. It took approximately 60 seconds from the first stunning attempt to the third stunning attempt to render the pig unconscious. Dr. REDACTED, SPHV, observed the skinned skull of the pig which revealed evidence of three holes secondary to the three stunning attempts. One hole was located approximately 1 inch and to the right of the center of the skull. The hole penetrated the skull approximately 1 cm deep, but did not penetrate completely through the skull. The second hole was in the center of the skull, penetrated through the skull but angled to the left. The third hole was in the center of the skull with complete penetration through the skull perpendicular to the skull. Due to the ineffective stun, IPP tagged the knock box with tag number B-45 736483, per 9 CFR 313.50(c). IPP then notified Harvest Unit employees, Ms. REDACTED and Mr. REDACTED, Establishment Manager, Mr. REDACTED, and Establishment Supervisor, Ms. REDACTED, of the findings and that the knock box was tagged. This establishment does not currently have a Robust Humane Handling Program. This is noncompliant with 9 CFR 313.15(a)(1). The establishment is currently operating under a verification plan due to a Notice of Suspension issued on 02/07/2025.

313.16(a)(1)

On 2/7/2025 at approximately 1138 hours, Consumer Safety Inspector, REDACTED, and SPHV Dr. REDACTED, observed the following noncompliance while performing a Humane Handling Task, verifying HATS Category VIII, stunning effectiveness at Est. M40268A, Sinton & Sons Local Meat Provisions. CSI REDACTED and I were standing in the designated safety zone prior to the establishment using live ammunition to stun an approximately 350-400 lb. market hog. I heard establishment Manager, Mr. REDACTED, yell “fire” to indicate that the stunner, Mr. REDACTED, was going to administer a gunshot to render the animal insensible (30-06 caliber). After hearing the shot, in-plant inspection personnel (IPP) immediately advanced to the end of the alley way to visualize the hog, and observed the hog on its side and a Harvest Unit Employee, Ms. REDACTED, make a cut into the neck to facilitate bleeding. In response to the cut, the hog began to squeal and started to kick it’s front and back limbs while in lateral recumbency. At this time, both Mr. REDACTED and Mr. REDACTED, began to physically restrain the hog with both hands. As they held the animal down, the hog attempted to right itself by placing its legs under its body but was unable to right itself. Ms. REDACTED proceeded to make a second cut into the neck region and the hog vocalized as she made the cut. The hog continued to squeal, rolling onto its sternum and attempting to stand by putting its limbs under its body. As it was trying to stand, Mr. REDACTED, stood near the rear of hog, trying to keep the hog in between his legs while Mr. REDACTED provided restraint by remaining on the left side of the hog. Ms. REDACTED performed a third and final cut into the neck of the animal as Mr. REDACTED and Mr. REDACTED restrained the hog. At this time, there was no longer any evidence of vocalization or movement and IPP determined the hog was dead. The duration of the incident was approximately 2 minutes and 30 seconds. IPP immediately notified and discussed with Establishment Manager, Mr. REDACTED, of the humane handling concerns and placed USDA Reject Tags on the holding pen that contained market hogs (#B-45736492) and the entrance of the knock box (#B-45736493). In observation of the hog’s skull after skinning, IPP observed that there was one entrance hole secondary to the bullet, approximately 1.25 inches below the level of the medial canthus exiting through the last left upper molar. The above findings represent an egregious noncompliance with regulation 9 CFR 313.16(a)(1), “The firearms shall be employed in the delivery of a bullet or projectile into the animal in accordance with this section so as to produce immediate unconsciousness in the animal by a single shot before it is shackled, hoisted, thrown, cast, or cut. The animal shall be shot in such a manner that they will be rendered unconscious with a minimum of excitement and discomfort.” This noncompliance is to be associated with noncompliance JNE1714022806N/1 dated 2/6/25, due to the establishment failing to immediately (or promptly) render an animal unconscious after a failed initial stunning attempt.

313.15(a)(1)

On 2/6/2025 at approximately 0810 hours, I, Consumer Safety Inspector, REDACTED observed the following while performing a Humane Handling Task and verifying HATS Category VIII, stunning effectiveness, for Est. 40268A, Sinton & Sons Local Meats and Provision Mobile Unit: Harvest Unit employee, Ms. REDACTED was observed in the knock box with a Mangalica market hog where she stunned the hog with a Blitz 9mm captive bolt. After stunning the hog, Ms. REDACTED touched the eye and Harvest Unit employee REDACTED opened the side of the knock box. Approximately 5 seconds after the first stunning attempt, the hog began to grunt. Ms. REDACTED immediately grabbed the preloaded backup Blitz captive bolt stunner and applied a secondary stun. After application of the secondary stun, the hog started to loudly squeal and moved its legs under its body, as if trying to stand. Ms. REDACTED reloaded the primary stunner and applied the third stun, approximately 35 to 40 seconds after the initial stun, which rendered the animal unconscious. The animal was then successfully bled. CSI REDACTED immediately rejected the knock box with tag number B-45 736498. This represents a regulatory noncompliance with Title 9 CFR 313.15(a)(1) because the establishment failed to render the animal unconscious with a single application of the captive bolt stun device and with a minimum of excitement and discomfort. In accordance with 9 CFR 313.50(C), I immediately tagged the knock box with US Reject Tag No. B-45 736498, informed Harvest Unit employees, Ms. REDACTED and Mr. REDACTED, Establishment Manager, Mr. REDACTED, and Establishment Supervisor, Ms. REDACTED that I was tagging the box and discussed my findings. This establishment does not currently have a Robust Humane Handling Program.

313.2

HATS Category III - Water and Feed Availability (9 CFR 313.2) While performing a Humane Handling Verification Task of HATS Category III, Water and Feed Availability, on 01/21/2025 at approximately 0938 hours, I, REDACTED, CSI, observed the following noncompliance: Inside the main holding pen containing one pig, IPP observed an empty trough surrounded by wet soil and lixits noted on the north wall of the pens. IPP asked Harvest Employee, Mr. REDACTED, to check if the lixits were operating. Mr. REDACTED checked and noted the water lixits were not operating at that time. IPP informed Mr. REDACTED, that water should always be accessible to livestock in the holding pens to be in accordance with 9 CFR 313.2(e). Mr. REDACTED immediately turned on the water hose valve leading to the pig lixits attached to the fence in the main holding pen. I informed Mr. REDACTED and Harvest Employee REDACTED of the noncompliance and verbally stated that I would be writing a noncompliance to document my findings.

313.30(a)(3)

HATS Category VIII - Stunning Effectiveness 9 CFR 313.30(a)(3) While performing a Humane Handling Verification Task of HATS Category VIII, Stunning Effectiveness, on 10/03/2022 at approximately 0845 hours, I, REDACTED, CSI, observed the following noncompliance: CSI REDACTED proceeded to the stun box to observe Slaughter Floor Employee, REDACTED, electric stun a pig. Standing outside the stun box, REDACTED leaned through the side opening on the stun box to electric stun the pig. The electric tongs contacted two locations on the hog: behind the ear on the neck region and the front shoulder region. After the first stun with the electric hog stunner the animal remained conscious, it stiffened up, remained standing and vocalized loudly while stepping backwards in the stun box. REDACTED quickly applied the 2nd electric hog stunner and rendered the animal unconscious and fell on its side. The establishment then opened the stun box and applied a 3rd electric stun/security stun to the head and heart region for extra precaution. IPP immediately notified Front Line Supervisor, Dr. REDACTED of the observations. IPP then notified Establishment Administrator, REDACTED, and Establishment Employee REDACTED that this is noncompliant with 9 CFR 313.30(a)(3) and a noncompliance would be issued.