~ United States Department of Agriculture 

March 14, 2024 

Honest Meats, LLC 

M7420+V7420 ELECTRONIC MAIL on March 14, 2024 

256 Charles Street 

Harrisonburg, VA 22802-4612 

office@temeats.com; lauren@temeats.com 

540-434-4415 

Attention: Lauren Iverson, Managing Partner 

NOTICE OF SUSPENSION 

This letter confirms the verbal notification given on March 13, 2024, at approximately 1150 hours, 

by the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) Inspection Program Personnel (IPP) of the 

suspension of the assignment of inspectors for slaughter operations at Honest Meats, LLC, Est. 

M7420 + V7420, herein after referred to as “your establishment.” This action was initiated in 

accordance with Title 9 of the Code of Federal Regulations (9 CFR) 500.3, after FSIS determined 

that your establishment failed to slaughter and handle animals humanely. 

Background/Authority 

The Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) (Title 21 of the United States Code {21 U.S.C.} 603 et 

seq.) provides that for the purpose of preventing the inhumane slaughtering of livestock, the 

Secretary shall cause to be made, by inspectors appointed for that purpose, an examination and 

inspection of the methods by which cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses, mules, or other equines are 

slaughtered and handled in connection with slaughter in the slaughtering establishments inspected 

under this Act. The Secretary may refuse to provide inspection to a new slaughtering establishment 

or may cause slaughtering to be temporarily suspended at a slaughtering establishment if the 

Secretary finds that any cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses, mules, or other equines have been 

slaughtered or handled in connection with slaughter at such establishments by any method not in 

accordance with sections 1901 to 1906 of Title 7 until the establishment furnishes assurances, 

satisfactory to the Secretary, that all slaughtering and handling in connection with slaughter of 

livestock shall be in accordance with such a method. 

The Humane Methods of Slaughter Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C. 1901 et seq.) provides that Congress 

finds that the use of humane methods in the slaughter of livestock prevents needless suffering; 

results in safer and better working conditions for persons engaged in the slaughtering industry; 

brings about improvement of products and economies in slaughtering operations; and produces 

other benefits for producers, processors, and consumers which tend to expedite an orderly flow of 

livestock and livestock products in interstate and foreign commerce. It is therefore declared to be 

the policy of the United States that the slaughtering of livestock and the handling of livestock in 

connection with slaughter shall be carried out only by humane methods. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LAUREN IVERSON, MANAGING PARTNER NOTICE OF SUSPENSION 

HONEST MEATS, LLC, M7420+V7420 MARCH 14, 2024 

Findings/Basis for Suspension 

At approximately 1130 hours on Wednesday, March 13, 2024, IPP identified an egregious humane 

handling non-compliance in which multiple attempts were made to stun a steer without an 

immediate corrective action. A large Holstein steer with horns was placed unrestrained in the 

knock box and an employee attempted to stun the steer with a .25 caliber hand-held captive bolt 

stunning device (HHCB). The steer dropped in the box, but immediately stood back up. The 

employee then attempted to stun the steer again using the same HHCB, but the steer remained 

standing, indicating an ineffective stun. The employee then left the kill floor to retrieve a backup 

stunning device, a 9mm pistol, and applied another stun to the steer, this time rendering it 

unconscious. The steer remained unconscious for the bleeding, shackling, and hoisting steps. IPP 

applied US Retain/Reject Tag # B18842178 to the knock box to prevent further slaughter of 

livestock; this is in accordance with 9 CFR 313.50(c). The Inspector in Charge (IIC) notified 

establishment management of the recommendation for further enforcement action at 

approximately 1150 hours. Examination of the skull revealed three (3) holes: one in the correct 

location for stunning on the front of the skull, one above the eyeline and to the right of center, and 

one behind the poll and centered (identified as the shot taken with the 9mm pistol). 

This incident represents a violation of 9 CFR 313.15(a)(1) which says in part “The captive bolt 

stunners shall be applied to the livestock in accordance with this section so as to produce immediate 

unconsciousness in the animals before they are shackled, hoisted, thrown, cast, or cut. The animals 

shall be stunned in such a manner that they will be rendered unconscious with a minimum of 

excitement and discomfort.” The incident is considered egregious because there were multiple 

attempts to stun the steer without an immediate corrective action. The establishment had been 

operating under a documented systematic approach to humane handling that was considered robust, 

but they are currently operating under a deferral from a previous humane handling incident that 

resulted in the issuance of a Notice of Intended Enforcement. As such, no regulatory discretion 

was able to be provided and this Suspension action was initiated. 

The suspension action will remain in effect until you provide the Raleigh District Office with 

adequate written assurances, including corrective actions and further planned preventive measures, 

to assure that livestock at your establishment are slaughtered humanely. In order to resume 

inspected operations, you must submit corrective actions to my attention at the District Office. 

These corrective actions should include at a minimum the following: 

1. Identify the assessment process used to determine the nature and cause of the 

noncompliances. 

2. Identify what the assessment revealed as the likely cause of the system failure. 

3. Describe the specific actions that will be taken to eliminate the cause of the failures. 

4. Describe the future monitoring activities you will use to ensure that changes are 

implemented and are effective. 

You are reminded that, as an operator of a federally inspected plant, you are expected to comply 

with FSIS regulations and to take appropriate corrective actions to prevent inhumane handling of 

livestock at your establishment. Please be advised that your failure to respond adequately to these 
LAUREN IVERSON, MANAGING PARTNER NOTICE OF SUSPENSION 

HONEST MEATS, LLC, M7420+V7420 MARCH 14, 2024 

issues may result in our initiating action to withdraw inspection from your establishment. Please 

also be advised that you have the right to appeal this matter. 

In accordance with 9 CFR 500.5(a)(5), you may appeal this action by contacting: 

Sheni Johnson 

Executive Associate for Regulato1y Operations 

Office ofField Operations 

Food Safety and Inspection Service 

United States Department ofAgriculture 

1400 Independence Avenue, SW 

South Building, Room 3154 

Washington, DC 20250 

Phone: 

In addition, you may also request a hearing regarding this detennination pursuant to FSIS' Rules 

of Practice (9 CFR 500.). The mles of Practice were published in the Federal Register, Vol. 64, 

No. 228, on November 29, 1999. As specified in Section 500.5(d), should you request a hearing, 

FSIS will file a complaint that will include a request for an expedited hearing. If you wish to 

request a hearing regarding this detennination, you should contact: 

Scott C. Safian, Branch Chief 

Enforcement Operations Branch 

Office of Investigation, Enforcement and Audit 

Food Safety and Inspection Service 

Stop Code 3753, PP3, Cubicle 9-235-A 

1400 Independence Avenue, SW 

Washington, D.C. 20250 

Voice: (202) 418-8872 

Fax: (202) 245-5097 

It is our hope that this matter can be resolved quickly. If you have any questions, please contact 

me via telephone at 919-326-5281 or via electronic mail at todd.furey2@usda.gov Additionally, 

you can contact the Raleigh District Office at 919-844-8400 or by fax at 844-839-6359. 

Sincerely, 

Digitally signed by ARIAL ARIAL GUPTON GUPTON 

Date: 2024.03.14 09:26:54 -0400' 

Todd Furey 

District Manager 
LAUREN IVERSON, MANAGING PARTNER NOTICE OF SUSPENSION 

HONEST MEATS, LLC, M7420+V7420 MARCH 14, 2024 

cc: S. Johnson, EARO/FO 

L Hortert RD/CID/OIEA 

, HHEC/FO 

y, 0 

-

R. Mmphy, DDM/RDO/FO 

M. Roling, DDM/RDO/FO 

A. Gu ton, DDM/RDO/FO 

DCSIRDOIFO 

DVMS/RDO/FO 

, SEIAO/RDO/FO 

, Program Manager/VDACS 

, fuspection Manager/VDACS 

, Supervisor/VDACS 

State Public Health Veterinarian/VDACS 

State Public Health Veterinarian/VDACS 

, Inspector in ChargeNDACS 

Quarterly Enforcement Repo1t 

Establishment File (Est. M7420)