iliiii1 United States Department of Agriculture 

Food Safety 

and Inspection 

Service 

Office of Field 

Operations 

Des Moines 

District Office 

Neal Smith 

Federal 

Building 

210 Walnut 

Street 

Room 985 

Des Moines, 

IA 50309-2123 

Voice 

515.727.8960 

Fax 

515.727.8991 

July 26, 2023 

Northern MN Meat Co. 

Establishment M1083 

5155 Great Scott Holmes Road 

Mt. Iron, Minnesota 55768 

shane@mahkahta.com 

(218) 258-2239 

Attention: Shane Lokken, Owner 

NOTICE OF SUSPENSION 

Electronically Signed copy emailed July 26, 2023 

This letter serves as official notification by the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) of our 

decision to withhold the federal marks of inspection and suspend the assignment of Inspection 

Program Personnel (IPP) for all slaughter operations at Northern MN Meat CO., Est. M1083, 

located at 5155 Great Scott Holmes Road Mt.

(b) (6)

 Iron, MN. This letter follows notification via email 

of the suspension action, provided by , District Veterinary Medical Specialist, 

to Shane Lokken, Owner at approximately 7:55pm on July 25, 2023. 

This action is taken in accordance with the Rules of Practice regulation 9 Part Code of Federal 

Regulations (CFR) Part 500.3(b) due to multiple recurring noncompliance with 9 CFR part 313, 

including an egregious inhumane handling incident that occurred at your establishment on July 25, 

2023. The evidence demonstrates failure to comply with the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) 

(21 U.S.C. 603), the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act (HMSA) (7 U.S.C. 1901 et seq.), and the 

regulatory requirements (9 CFR Part 313). 

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 amenable species 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 inspection 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 establishment by 

any method not in accordance with the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act (HMSA) (72 Statute, 

862; Title 7 U.S.C. 1901 to 1906) 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 methods. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shane Lokken, Owner Notice of Suspension 

Northern MN Meats Co. Est. M1083 July 25, 2023 

The HMSA 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. 

Under the authority of the Acts, FSIS has prescribed rules and regulations required for 

establishments slaughtering and handling livestock, as required by 9 CFR Part 313. FSIS has also 

developed the Rules of Practice regarding administrative enforcement, 9 CFR Part 500. The Rules 

of Practice describe the types of enforcement actions that FSIS may take and include procedures 

for taking a withholding action and/or suspension, with or without prior notification, and for filing 

a complaint to withdraw a grant of inspection. Specifically, 9 CFR 500.3(b) states that FSIS may 

impose a suspension without providing prior notification due to handling or slaughtering of 

animals inhumanely. 

Findings/Basis for Action 

On July 14, 2023, FSIS issued a Notice of Suspension due to an egregious inhumane handling 

event involving multiple electrical stun attempts made to render a hog unconscious. As of July 

24, 2023, FSIS had not received a comprehensive response that includes all corrective actions 

and preventative measures to address the noncompliance outlined in that NOS. This suspension 

action is still in effect. 

On July 24, 2023, the establishment requested to slaughter 10 head of sheep utilizing a handheld 

captive bolt device (HHCB). FSIS exercised regulatory discretion and granted your request. 

On July 25, 2023, at approximately 1040 hours, while conducting the humane handling verification 

task Category VIII: Stunning Effectiveness, inspection program personnel (IPP), observed the 

following noncompliance: an ovine in the stunning area was not immediately rendered 

unconscious with the first stun application. After the first stun application with a HHCB, the 

conscious animal went down into sternal recumbency but was observed to have its head lifted with 

coordinated eye tracking movement. The animal rolled out of the stunning pen and then attempted 

to stand on its hind legs. The animal did not vocalize. A second stun was immediately applied with 

the backup HHCB which rendered the animal unconscious. Verbal regulatory control action was 

applied of the stunning area. US Reject tag B37606509 was applied to the stunning area. 

Post-mortem inspection of the head revealed two wounds directly in the center of the forehead at 

the intersection of two lines drawn from each ear to the opposite eye. Plant owner Shane Lokken 

was notified of the forthcoming noncompliance. This represented noncompliance with 9 CFR 

313.15(a)(1) immediate unconsciousness via captive bolt. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shane Lokken, Owner Notice of Suspension 

Northern MN Meats Co. Est. M1083 July 25, 2023 

In addition to the egregious inhumane handling incidents outlined above IPP have issued 

noncompliance records (NRs) for 2 additional ineffective stunning incidents on March 7, 2023 that 

were not deemed egregious: 

• NR #ONK3313034007N Livestock Humane Handling for a bovine not immediately 

rendered unconscious on the first stun application with a firearm. 

• NR #ONK3411033507N Livestock Humane Handling for a hog not immediately 

rendered unconscious on the first stun application with a firearm. 

Summary and Conclusion 

Provisions of the FMIA outline FSIS’ ability to refuse to render inspection and indefinitely 

withdraw inspection from an establishment, provided the establishment is afforded the right to an 

administrative hearing, when conditions exist where the slaughter and/or handling of livestock was 

not by a method in accordance with the Act(s). Evidence demonstrates your failure to meet 

regulatory requirements detailed in 9 CFR 313.15(a)(1) constituting a violation of the humane 

slaughter requirements and supporting the conclusion that your handling of livestock violated the 

provisions of the FMIA and HMSA. 

The establishment does not have a humane handling program that meets the four criteria as 

described in the Federal Register Notice of September 9, 2004. Based on the above findings, the 

Des Moines District Office has made a decision to suspend the assignment of inspectors for your 

slaughter operations, as per the Rules of Practice regulation 9 CFR Part 500.3(b). 

The suspension of the assignment of inspectors will remain in effect until such time as you provide 

to this office adequate written corrective actions and preventive measures to address the 

noncompliance detailed in both the NOS issued on July 14, 2023 as well the additional 

noncompliance identified in this NOS, to assure that the handling and/or slaughter of animals will 

be done humanely and in accordance with the FMIA, HMSA, and the regulations promulgated 

therein. 

You may provide this office written corrective actions and preventive measures concerning the 

NOS and we will determine further action, if any, based upon your response. If you choose to 

address this issue, your written response should include: 

1. An initial assessment of the incident, including determination of the cause. 

2. Immediate corrective actions taken. 

3. Measures to prevent reoccurrence. 

4. Any training of employees, materials used, and associated records. 

5. Type of monitoring activity(s) to be conducted and associated monitoring records. 

A determination of further administrative action will be made upon receipt and review of your 

submitted corrective actions and preventative measures. You are reminded that, as an operator of 

a federally inspected establishment, you are expected to comply with FSIS regulations and to take 

appropriate corrective actions to prevent the production of or adulterated products at your 
Shane Lokken, Owner Notice of Suspension 

Northern MN Meats Co. Est. M1083 July 25, 2023 

establishment. Please be advised that your failure to respond adequately to these issues may result 

in our initiating action to withdraw inspection from your establishment. 

Appeal and Hearing Rights 

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

SheITi N. Johnson 

Executive Associate for Regulato1y Operations 

Office of Field Operations 

Food Safety and Inspection Service 

United States Department of Agriculture 

SB, Room 1330A 

1400 Independence Avenue, SW 

Washington, DC 20250 

Email: ~usda.gov 

Phone: -

Pursuant to 9 CFR 500.5(d), you may also request a hearing regarding this detennination. 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 determination, please contact: 

Scott C. Safian, Director 

Enforcement Operations Staff(EOS) 

Office of Investigation, Enforcement and Audit (OIEA) 

Food Safety and Inspection Service 

United States Department of Agriculture 

Stop Code 3753, SB - Room 2148 

1400 Independence Avenue, SW 

Washington, DC 20250 

Telephone: (202) 418-8872 

Facsimile: (202) 245-5097 

E-mail: AEBC01Tespondence@usda.gov 

If you have questions regarding this matter, please feel free to contact the Des Moines District 

Office at 515-727-8960 or District Veterinai Medical Specialists (DVMS) 

or 

Sincerely, 

Digitally signed by MARK MARK JOHNSON 

JOHNSON Date: 2023.07.26 

07:16:43 -05'00' (for) 

Dawn Sprouls 

District Manager