Texas Slaughterhouses

NOTICE of SUSPENSION HELD in ABEYANCE:

On June 14, 2013, your establishment was provided verbal notification by Dr. Jennifer Beasley-McKean, District Manager, that the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) was, effective immediately, reinstating the suspension of the assignment of inspectors relative to the Slaughter Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan(s) at Establishment 675, Caviness Beef Packers, LTD, Hereford, Texas. This action, in accordance with the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Title 9, Part 500.3(b), was based on your establishment’s failure to handle or slaughter animals humanely, as required by the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act (HMSA) of 1978, Title 7, Section 1902, the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) Title 21 United States Code (USC), Section 603, and  9 CFR 313.16(a)(1).

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NOTICE of SUSPENSION HELD IN ABEYANCE:

On May 29, 2013, your establishment was provided verbal notification by Dr. Ronald Nida, Deputy District Manager, that the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) was, effective immediately, suspending the assignment of inspectors relative to Slaughter Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACP) plan(s) at Establishment 675, Caviness Beef Packers, LTD, Hereford, Texas. This action, in accordance with the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Title 9, Part 500.3(b), was based on your establishment’s failure to handle or slaughter animals humanely, as required by the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act (HMSA) of 1978, Title 7, Section 1902, the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) Title 21 United States Code (USC), Section 603, and 9 CFR 313.16(a)(1).

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NOTICE of SUSPENSION:

This letter confirms the verbal notification provided by Ronald Nida, Deputy District Manager, on May 29, 2013 to [redacted] that the Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) was, effective immediately, suspending the assignment of inspectors covering the slaughter and processing of animals for Establishment 675, Hereford, TX.

On May 29, 2013, at approximately 3:05p.m., [redacted] observed a plant employee attempt to stun a large horned, Hereford bull, which was in a stock trailer, with a 30-30 caliber rifle. When the employee fired the rifle, the bull remained standing. The bull lifted its head high and began moving it from side to side. Blood began to flow from one of the animal’s nostrils at this time. The employee immediately levered another cartidge into the rifle chamber to attempt a second shot, but because of bull’s head movement the shot was not taken. After approximately 90 seconds, the bull stopped moving its head and an effective stunning shot was administered. At that time [redacted] placed US Reject tag #B43 303463 on the knocking box, notified [redacted] and [redacted] of the action and contacted the District Office.

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Huge Stream of Pig Blood Dumped into Trinity River, Texas

A Texas man that sent out his drone plane hoping to take some eye-catching shots of the Dallas suburbs caught just that – except not in the way he anticipated. What he discovered turned out to be an environmental hazard. His pictures showed a bright, red pigment in a creek behind a 99-year-old meat packing plant. The red pigment, to his shock and surprise, was pig blood.

Yikes!

Soon after handing his pictures over to the authorities, the Columbia Packing Company was served with a search warrant by the Texas Environmental Task Force. An underground pipe located behind the slaughterhouse was investigated and was not found to be connected to any waste water system. It was later tested by authorities which found a substantial amount of pig blood. The creek runs into Trinity River where a lot of kayackers and nature lovers have been making it a very popular place to frequent. Taken aback by the allegations that were exalted last week the company was not aware of any solicitude.

However when contacted by government officials they complied in answering any questions on the matter. The Columbia Packing Co. were surprised at the allegations and refuted any deliberate wrong doing. This hasnʼt, however, prompted the halt of production at the slaughterhouse nor has any immediate action been taken by Columbia Packing to address the underground pipe in question.

NOTICE of DEFERRAL:

On June 27, 2013, a Notice of Intended Enforcement (NOIE) was issued to your establishment, providing notification of the Dallas District Office’s (DDO) intent to withhold the marks of inspection and suspend the assignment of inspection program personnel at Sam Kane Beef Processors, LLC, Establishment 337, Corpus Christi, Texas. This enforcement action was based on the observation by [redacted] of inhumane handling practices, a violation of Title 9 of the Cod of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 313.16(a)(1).

On June 28, 2013, and July 1, 2013, your establishment provided responses to the DDO containing the following immediate corrective actions and further preventive measures to be implemented to ensure that animals would be humanely handled and slaughtered at your facility:…

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NOTICE of INTENDED ENFORCEMENT:

This letter serves as official notification by the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) of our intent to withhold the marks of inspection and suspend the assignment of inspection program personnel covering the slaughter of animals at Sam Kane Beef Processors, LLC, Establishment 337, Corpus Christi, Texas.

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NOTICE of SUSPENSION HELD in ABEYANCE:

On July 31, 2013, your establishment was provide verbal notification by Dr. Samuel Dragoi, Deputy District Manger, that the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) was, effective immediately, suspending the assignment of inspectors covering the slaughter of animals at Tierra Del Sol Farms, LLC, Establishment 45247, Fort Hancock, Texas. This action, in accordance with the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Title 9, Part 500.3(b), was based on your establishment’s failure to handle or slaughter animals humanely, as required by the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act (HMSA) of 1978, Title 7, Section 1902, the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) Title 21 United States Code (USC), Section 610(b), and 9 CFR 313.16(a)(1) and 313.30(a).

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NOTICE of SUSPENSION:

This letter confirms the verbal notification provided by Dr. Samuel Dragoi, Deputy District Manager, on July 31, 2013, that the Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) was, effective immediately , suspending the assignment of inspectore covering the slaughter of animals at Tierra Del Sol Farms, LLC, Establishment 45247, Fort Hancock, Texas.

At 8 a.m., July 31, 2013, [redacted] was observing the first goat slaughter of the day when a plant employee attempted to stun an animal using an electronic stunner. After the stun was delivered, the animal jumped; retaining consciousness. The employee then attempted to render the animal unconscious using a captive bolt stunning device. This time the animal did fall to the floor, but attempted to regain its footing, still conscious. A third and final stun was applied using the captive bolt stunner and the animal was rendered unconscious. She discussed the incident with you, and slaughter operations were voluntarily halted. [redacted] notified [redacted] of the incident, then placed U.S. Rejected Tag #B36388405 on the knock box.

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