Williams Sausage Company, Inc.: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2025 (USDA)

313.30 (a)(2),313.30(a)(1),313.30(a)(3)

HATS Category VIII Stunning Effectiveness At approximately 9:45 am on 7/14/2025, CSI REDACTED observed one live sow in the blood pit area of the kill floor. CSI REDACTED observed an establishment employee attempting to electrically stun the unrestrained sow. An initial electrical stun attempt was observed when the probe of the electrical stunner was placed on the animal and the stunning device was activated, but was ineffective, as the sow vocalized and ran away from the stunner. The establishment employee attempted a second electrical stun attempt on the unrestrained sow, and the probe was again placed on the sow and activated, but was ineffective, as the sow vocalized and ran away from the stunner and under the rolling table. While under the rolling table, a nose snare was utilized to provide restraint. The establishment employee attempted a third electrical stun attempt, which was again ineffective, the sow vocalized and then ran out from under the rolling table. An establishment employee continued to maintained control of the sow’s head via the snare. The establishment contacted the barn manager because the two captive bolts on the kill floor did not have charges present in the case. The barn manager arrived from the barn with a handheld captive bolt device and rendered the animal insensible, and it remained so thereafter. Regulatory control action was taken, and a US Reject tag (No. B 26 013393) was placed on the stunning box. REDACTED, Barn Manager, and REDACTED, Quality Supervisor, were notified of the noncompliance with 9 CFR 313.30(a)(1), 9 CFR 313.30(a)(2), and 9 CFR 313.30(a)(3), and of the regulatory control action. Upon further investigation, the exit door on the stunning box was not latched properly. Upon entering the stunning box, IPP determined the sow had pushed against the unlatched exit door and was able to gain entry to the blood pit area.