USDA 

-

~ United States Department of Agriculture 

November 17, 2023 

Clausen Meat Company, fuc. 

Establishment 325M ELECTRONIC MAIL on November 17, 2023 

PO Box 1826 

Tm-lock, CA 95381 

Email: @yahoo.com 

@yahoo.com 

c ausenmeat@gmail.com 

Telephone: 209-667-8699 

Attention: Mr. Ping Lau, President 

NOTICE OF SUSPENSION HELD IN ABEYANCE 

On November 15, 2023, the Food Safety and fuspection Service (FSIS), Alameda Disti·ict Office 

(ADO), verbally notified your establishment of our decision to withhold the federal marks of 

inspection and suspend the assignment of fuspection Program Personnel (IPP) for Slaughter 

Hazard Analysis Critical Conti·ol Point (HACCP) processes at Clausen Meat Company, fuc. 

Establishment 325M, located at 19455 Clausen Road, Tm-lock, CA 95380. The ADO issued a 

Notice ofSuspension letter to follow verbal notification ofthe suspension action, provided by Dr. 

Virginia Felix, Acting Disti·ict Manager (DM), to you on November 15, 2023. 

The evidence of egregious inhumane handling demonsti·ates failure to comply with the Federal 

Meat fuspection Act (FMIA) (21 U.S.C. 603) and the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act 

(HMSA) (7 U.S.C. 1901 et seq.) and federal regulations 9 CFR Pait 313. This action is based on 

the detennination that your establishment failed to handle or slaughter animals humanely in 

accordance with Title 9 CFR 313.5(a)(3), 313.5(a)(l), 313.30(a)(l), and 313.30(a)(3). 

On November 15, 2023, your establishment submitted written responses to the Alameda Disti·ict 

Office (ADO) containing the immediate coITective actions and fmt her preventive measures in 

response to the Notice of Suspension (NOS) issued to your establishment on November 15, 2023. 

Based on your written and verbal commitments provided from November 15, 2023, to November 

17, 2023, in response to the NOS, FSIS has decided to hold the Suspension in Abeyance to allow 

your establishment the oppo1tunity to implement your proposed coITective actions and 

preventive measures. This letter confinns the verbal notification provided to your establishment 

on November 15, 2023, by the FSIS Alameda District Office management team. 

During this Abeyance period, FSIS will continue to verify, assess, and evaluate the effectiveness 

of the coITective actions you have implemented to assure that all proffered coITective actions ai·e 

followed and that your programs ai·e adequate to assure that livestock at your establishment are 

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Mr. Ping Lau, President Notice of Suspension Held in Abeyance 

Clausen Meat Company, Inc. 325M November 17, 2023 

handled and slaughtered humanely, in accordance with the FMIA, the Humane Methods of 

Slaughter Act, and the regulations promulgated thereunder. 

FSIS designed a Verification Plan to verify that your establishment fully implements and follows 

the corrective actions and preventive measures that your establishment proffered in response to 

the NOS. The Verification Plan, which is enclosed with this letter, identifies your action plan, the 

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

frequencies under which FSIS officials will verify each corrective action. Please be advised that 

only FSIS can amend the Verification Plan, and should your establishment make any 

modifications to your food safety programs during the Abeyance period, you should submit these 

changes, in writing, to FSIS for verification of compliance prior to your establishment 

implementing these changes. 

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

comply with the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) and the regulations promulgated 

thereunder to ensure that livestock at your establishment are handled and slaughtered humanely. 

The regulations require establishments to take appropriate action(s) when either the 

establishment or FSIS determines that the establishment’s system controls for humane handling 

requirements are ineffective. 

It is also important for you to understand that FSIS has the responsibility to initiate actions if 

your establishment fails to operate in accordance with FSIS regulations, or conditions occur that 

may render products unwholesome or adulterated. In these situations, FSIS personnel will 

continue to take regulatory control of product and/or other administrative enforcement action. 

FSIS has the authority to reinstate the suspension or withholding action if your establishment 

fails to implement your proposed corrective actions and preventive measures or if the corrective 

actions and preventive measures are not effective. 

Please be advised that your failure to comply with regulatory requirements, to implement the 

corrective actions in your action plan, and/or to notify this office in writing of any changes to 

your action plan may result in the immediate reinstatement of the suspension of inspection or 

withholding action at your establishment. 

Appeal and Hearing Rights 

You have the right to appeal this matter and can do so by contacting: 

Sherri Johnson, 

Executive Associate for Regulatory Operations 

Office of Field Operations 

Food Safety and Inspection Service 

United States Department of Agriculture 

1400 Independence Avenue, SW 

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Mr. Ping Lau, President Notice of Suspension Held in Abeyance 

Clausen Meat Company, Inc. 325M November 17, 2023 

SB, Room 3162 

Washington, DC 20250 

Email: sherri.johnson@usda.gov 

Phone: (202) 379-6196 

If you have any questions, please call the Alameda District Office at (510) 769-5712, by fax at 

(844) 622-0081, or via electronic mail at AlamedaDistrictOffice@usda.gov. 

Sincerely, 

/s/ 

Virginia Felix, DVM 

Acting District Manager

 Humane Handling Enforcement Coordinator 

S. Smith, OIEA Regional Director 

G. Abreu, DDM 

F. Gillis, DDM 

SEIAO

 DCS

 DVMS

 FLS 

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EIAO 

IIC at Est. M325 

FO/Quarterly Reports 

cc: S. Johnson, EARO

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