Volunteer Meats LLC/412 Meat Processing: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2025 (USDA)

313.2

HAT Category III (Water and Feed Availability) On 03/11/2025 at approximately 1058 hours, while performing a HAT Category III (Water and Feed Availability) verification task, I, SPHV REDACTED observed the following noncompliance. Specifically, I observed that the one head of beef in livestock holding pen 11 did not have access to water (water trough was turned over and was empty). I took immediate regulatory control by applying a regulatory control tag (U.S. Reject/Retain tag No. B-45 400383) to the holding pen and informed Ms. REDACTED of the issue. Mr. REDACTED, establishment employee, immediately placed a new water bucket in the holding pen and filled it, thereby allowing the animal access to water. Regulatory control was subsequently relinquished at approximately 1100 hours upon the establishment taking the necessary corrective actions to achieve regulatory compliance and proffered measures to prevent recurrence. Ms. REDACTED, Plant Manager, was notified of the noncompliance and of the establishment’s failure to comply with the regulatory requirements prescribed in 9 CFR 313.2(e). A similar noncompliance (YOB5012031210N/1) was documented on 03/10/2025 and has been associated to the above noncompliance record secondary to the two NRs having the same regulatory citation, resulting from the same type of inspection task, occurring within a reasonably close period of time, and due the fact that the establishment’s corrective actions for the previous NR did not prevent recurrence of the same noncompliance.

313.2

HAT Category III (Water and Feed Availability) On 3/10/2025 at approximately 0706 hours, while performing a HAT Category III (Water and Feed Availability) verification task, I, CSI REDACTED observed the following noncompliance. Specifically, I observed pens 11 and 12 containing approximately 13 head of beef did not have access to water. One pen contained an empty water pail and the other pen did not have a container of water. I asked a plant employee to give the animals water. Regulatory control was subsequently relinquished at approximately 0729 hours upon the establishment taking the necessary corrective actions to achieve regulatory compliance.. Mrs. REDACTED, Plant Manager, was notified of the noncompliance and of the establishment’s failure to comply with the regulatory requirements prescribed in 9 CFR 313.2(e).

313.15(a)(1),313.15(a)(3)

HATS CATEGORY VIII: Stunning Effectiveness At approximately 1004 at Volunteer Meats, Establishment M6561, I, REDACTED DVM, observed establishment personnel move a small heifer into the knock box and restrained it with the head gate. The initial stun attempt with a 25-caliber pistol style Handheld Captive Bolt Device (HHCB) was observed to contact the animal but was ineffective. The animal collapsed in the chute but remained alert, exhibiting tracking eye movements and regular breathing. The stun operator attempted a corrective action stun with the same HHCB device, but the device misfired. Establishment personnel left the area to retrieve another stun device, but before another attempt could be delivered, In Plant Personnel CSI REDACTED and CSI REDACTED observed establishment personnel cut the conscious animal’s throat. The animal subsequently expired from exsanguination, and it remained insensible thereafter. I notified Mr. REDACTED, establishment owner, of the non-compliance, and the knock-box was tagged with USDA Rejected tag NO. B37 579386