Pine Creek Processing LLC: Non-Compliance to Poultry Good Commercial Practices in 2025 (USDA)

381.65(b)

On Wednesday 7/30/2025, at approximately 11:00AM, I (CSI REDACTED) was performing a Good Commercial Practices task within establishment P45525. During postmortem inspection I noticed four separate cadaver birds come through the line, within a two-hour timeframe. Bright red, cherry colored skin with purple necks. The livers from the cadaver birds appeared darker, almost black – deviating significantly from the uniform reddish-brown livers of properly bled product. I noted there were several pink birds hanging on the line, along with even more pink birds in the pre-evisceration carcass staging tray. These were a pink to reddish hue, inconsistent with properly bled birds. The color was uniformly present, without the deep purplish congestion characteristic of cadaver birds (or the obvious cherry red appearance). In accordance with 9CFR 381.65(b) an establishment has lost control of its process for handling birds when the birds are: 1. “Dying otherwise than by slaughter.” 2. “Not being appropriately bled out.” Similar cadaver carcasses were observed on 7/29/2025, with 2 in total condemned. The presence of multiple cadaverous birds over 2 consecutive days indicates a lack of process control. I took regulatory control, stopped the production line, and informed establishment owner (REDACTED) of the situation. She halted slaughter operations and immediately began questioning the kill operators. REDACTED concluded that they were rushing the birds into the scald tank to save time. I informed REDACTED of the noncompliance. REDACTED immediately began to work on corrective actions for this incident. After receiving CA, I relinquished regulatory control and allowed the line to resume. REDACTED is currently working on additional training, process changes and system improvements to come back into compliance.