USDA 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

- United States Department of Agriculture

January 22, 2024

Hometown Meat Market LLC Sent via email & USPS

Establishment 936 

2600 N. FM 973

Austin, TX 78725

Attention: Mr. Anthony Cole Bolton, Plant Owner

NOTICE OF SUSPENSION HELD IN ABEYANCE

On January 19, 2024, your establishment was provided verbal notification by

Dr. Kinsey Naylor-Byles, Deputy District Manager, that the Food Safety and Inspection Service

(FSIS) was, effective immediately, suspending the assignment of inspectors related to the

Slaughter Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan(s) at Hometown Meat

Market LLC, Establishment 936, Austin, Texas. This action was based on the observation of an 

egregious inhumane handling practice; a violation of Title 9 of the Code of Federal Regulations

(CFR), Parts 313.15(a)(3) and 313.15(b)(1)(iii). A written Notice of Suspension was issued to 

your establishment on January 19, 2024.

On January 19, 2024, and January 21, 2024, your establishment provided written responses to the

Dallas District Office proffering immediate corrective actions and further preventive measures to 

be implemented to ensure that animals would be handled and slaughtered humanely at your

facility. Your corrective actions and preventive measures included the following, 

1) Training of employees on handling animals, stunning, and sensibility check, training

documented on Training log.

2) Monitoring areas of the animals holding facility, animals’ handling, including head catch and 

stunning effectiveness on each day animals on the property and result documented on 

Humane handling log.

3) Sensibility checks to be performed on each animal on each day of slaughter and the result

documented on Sensibility Check Form. 

4) All captive bolts and other stun devices to be maintained and verified in working condition 

before use, maintenance and cleaning documented on Blitz Cleaning and Maintenance

Record.

After careful evaluation of the submissions of your proffered corrective and preventive

measures, you were contacted on January 22, 2024, by Dr. Naylor-Byles who informed you of

the decision to hold the suspension in abeyance and explained the verification process. 

The suspension will remain in abeyance pending verification by FSIS that your proffered 

preventive and corrective measures have been effectively implemented. A copy of FSIS’s

Verification Plan is enclosed to assist you in understanding the nature and importance of the

Food Safety and Inspection Service

Office of Field Operations

Dallas District Office

1100 Commerce Street, Room 516

Dallas, TX 75242

Voice 214-767-9116 Fax 844-622-0080

An Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JENNIFER BEASLEY ~~i:,]~~s%:!:~!~~;~:=r:: 

MCKEAN ~~~:F~=:~:nooooma3, 

Date:2024.01.2210l46:53-0li'OO' 

Hometown Meat Market LLC 2

Notice of Suspension Held in Abeyance

January 22, 2024

Agency’s verification activities. This Verification Plan is designed to verify that your

establishment fully implements the corrective actions in your response and that these actions are

effective in assuring ongoing regulatory compliance. It identifies the corrective action elements, 

the relevant regulatory requirements, and the Public Health Information System (PHIS) tasks

under which each corrective action element will be verified.

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

comply with FSIS Regulations and to take appropriate corrective action at your establishment. 

Failure to comply with regulatory requirements could result in the reinstatement of suspension of

inspection for your HACCP plan(s), or other appropriate administrative or legal action.

If you have any questions, contact

(DVMS), at

(b) (6) (b) (6)

, District Veterinary Medical Specialist

Sincerely,

Jennifer Beasley-McKean, DVM

District Manager

cc:

(b) (6)

, Frontline Supervisor, San Antonio, TX

Inspector in Charge, Establishment 936, Luling, TX
 

 

 

 

 

 

VERIFICATION PLAN 

Hometown Meat Market LLC 

Establishment 936 

January 22, 2024 

On Friday January 19, 2024, Hometown Meat Market LLC, Establishment 936, Luling, 

Texas, was issued a Notice of Suspension for an egregious incident of inhumane handling. 

This verification plan is designed to verify the corrective actions and preventive measures 

listed in the establishment’s responses submitted on January 19, 2024, and 

January 21, 2024, are effectively implemented. 

Livestock Humane Handling 

9 CFR 320.1 (a) 

Verify once 

Verify that training of employees on animals’ handling, stunning, and sensibility check has been 

completed and employees’ names, list of training, and signatures matches employees who 

performed the training. Record documented on the Training Log. 

Livestock Humane Handling 

9 CFR 313.15(a)(1), 9 CFR 313.15(a)(3), 9 CFR 313.15(b)(1)(iii), 9 CFR 313.1, 9 CFR 313.2, 

and 9 CFR 320.1(a) 

Verify on each day of slaughter & on each day animals are on inspected premises 

Verify that areas of animals’ holding facility, including condition of the head catch, animals’ 

handling and stunning effectiveness are monitored on each day animals are on inspected 

premises, and results documented on the Humane Handling Log. 

Verify that sensibility check is performed on each inspected animal and result documented on the 

Sensibility Check Form. 

Verify that captive bolts are maintained and verified in working condition and results 

documented on the Blitz Cleaning and Maintenance Record.