Food Safety and 

Inspection Service

Office of Field 

Operations

Atlanta District Office

100 Alabama St., SW. 

Suite 3R90

Atlanta, GA. 30303

Phone: 404-562-5900

Fax: 404-562-5877

Toll Free:

800-282-7005

August 9, 2023 CERTIFIED

MAIL

Johnston’s Locker Plant, Inc. 

M11198

1480 Washington Street

Monticello, FL 32344 

hal@johnstonsmeatmartket.com

(850) 997-5622 

NOTICE OF SUSPENSION HELD IN ABEYANCE

Dear Mr. Hal Bennett,

On August 2, 2023, the Food Safety, and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a 

Notice of Suspension (NOS) withholding the marks of inspection and 

suspending the assignment of slaughter inspection program personnel for 

livestock slaughter at Johnston’s Meat Locker, Inc., Est. M11198 located at 

1480 Washington Street, Monticello, FL 32344. This action was based on 

your establishment’s failure to handle livestock humanely according to 9 CFR 

Part 313. 

On August 3, 2023, the Atlanta District Office received the corrective actions 

and preventive measures, you submitted through the Frontline Supervisor via 

electronic mail, to meet the requirements of the Humane Methods of Slaughter 

Act. Based on your assessment, you acknowledged that the inhumane actions 

taken by your employees were unacceptable. Your corrective actions and 

preventive measures included: formally writing up the employees; the 

employees will face further disciplinary action up to termination on the next 

offense if they do not comply with your HACCP plan and 9 CFR Part 313;

and you conducted a meeting and went over 9 CFR Part 313 as to humane 

actions during the entire process. 

On August 3, 2023, you submitted a second response containing additional 

corrective actions and preventive measures. Your response included: the 

employee that kicked the cow in the face and made derogatory comments to 

the Consumer Safety Inspector (CSI) was terminated; the employee that 

sprayed the cows with hot water will be retrained regarding your “Humane 

Slaughter Practices SOP” and Humane Slaughter Practices; ,

An Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer

(b) (6)
NOTICE OF SUSPENSION HELD IN ABEYANCE

Mr. Hal Bennett, Owner

Johnston’s Locker Plant, Inc., Est. M11198 

August 9, 2023 

Page 2

An Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer

who has extensive experience working in a medium sized Hog processing plant, 

understands USDA guidelines and has been properly trained along USDA guidelines, will 

oversee slaughter operations when slaughter inspection is reinstated; the establishment 

will implement a Robust Humane Slaughter Program that is separate from your Humane 

Slaughter Practices SOP; and you submitted a copy of your Humane Slaughter Practices 

SOP.

On August 4, 2023, the Atlanta District Office issued a District Office Response Letter

notifying you that your initial response was found to be inadequate for the egregiousness 

of the humane handling noncompliance and that your case was referred to the Office of 

Investigation, Enforcement, and Audit (OIEA) for review by the Enforcement Operations 

Staff (EOS).

On August 4, 2023, FSIS determined that your second response of proffered corrective 

actions and preventive measures submitted were not adequate to properly address the 

inhumane handling incident and further clarification was requested. Specifically, FSIS 

requested: a copy of the information that will be used to retrain your employee in 

Humane Slaughtering Practices; a copy of the record documenting that the employee was 

retrained; a copy of your new Robust Humane Slaughter Program including copies of

any records that will be used to document monitoring and verification activities; a copy

of your revised Humane Slaughter Practices SOP addressing training of all employees 

involved in the slaughter process, to include employees handling, working with or 

moving livestock; provide a copy of any training material and/or a link to any videos

used to train your slaughter employees; a copy of the record, including names and 

signatures, used to document training of your slaughter employees; and a copy of your 

revised Humane Slaughter Practices SOP addressing a righting reflex as a sign of 

consciousness.

On August 5, 2023, you submitted your third response containing additional corrective 

actions and preventive measures. Your response included: a copy of a PowerPoint 

presentation titled “Firearm Physics” and a copy of your new program titled “Robust 

Humane Slaughter Program” which would be used to retrain your employee on Humane 

Slaughter Practices; a copy of the record that will be used to document monitoring of 

“Robust Humane Slaughter Program”; employee training documentation will be provided 

on August 8, 2023; and a corrected copy of your Humane Slaughter Practices SOP was 

provided.

On August 5, 2023, FSIS determined that your third response of proffered corrective 

actions and preventive measures submitted were not adequate to properly address the 

inhumane handling incident and additional clarification was requested. Specifically, 

FSIS requested: a copy of the training material used to address animal handling regarding 

receiving, holding and movement; clarification regarding the monitoring frequencies for 

your “Robust Humane Slaughter Program”; your “Robust Humane Slaughter Program
NOTICE OF SUSPENSION HELD IN ABEYANCE

Mr. Hal Bennett, Owner

Johnston’s Locker Plant, Inc., Est. M11198 

August 9, 2023 

Page 3

An Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer

does not address monitoring of stunning effectiveness and consciousness on the rail; the 

“Humane Slaughter Practices SOP” does not address training of all employees involved

in the slaughter process, which includes employees handling, working with or moving 

livestock; a link to the video referenced for training was not provided; and it was noted 

that due to the current enforcement action, even though a written program may meet the 

Agency’s criteria for a Robust Systematic Approach (RSA), it would not be considered 

robust at this time.

On August 6, 2023, FSIS received your fourth response containing additional corrective 

actions and preventive measures. Your response included: documents with corrected 

typographical errors; the verbiage in your “Humane Slaughter Practices SOP” was 

modified to include training of all slaughter employees handling, working with or moving 

livestock: a link to the video that would be used to train and/or retrain your employees 

regarding receiving, holding, handling and movement of animals; clarification regarding 

the monitoring frequencies for your “Robust Humane Slaughter Program”; and a copy of 

your “Robust Humane Slaughter Program” addressing monitoring of stunning 

effectiveness and consciousness on the rail. 

On August 7, 2023, you submitted copies of the records documenting that your slaughter 

employees had been trained and/or retrained regarding Humane Slaughter Practices. 

On August 8, 2023, you were verbally notified by FSIS that the corrective actions and 

preventive measures met the requirements to place Johnston’s Locker Plant, Est. M11198, 

in Abeyance and that a Notice of Suspension Held in Abeyance (NOSHA) and 

Verification Plan (VP) would be issued. You are hereby being provided written 

notification of the Notice of Suspension Held in Abeyance. 

Please be further advised that the suspension of inspection at your establishment will 

remain in abeyance pending verification by FSIS that your proposed corrective actions 

and preventive measures have been implemented and are effective in ensuring future 

regulatory compliance and preventing the inhumane treatment of animals. Agency 

personnel will begin immediate verification of your corrective actions and preventive 

measures.

A copy of the FSIS Verification Plan is attached to assist you in understanding the nature 

and importance of the agency’s verification activities. The FSIS Verification Plan is 

designed to verify that your establishment fully implements the revisions to its humane 

handling of animals and other corrective actions stated in your responses, and that these 

revisions and corrective actions are effective in ensuring future regulatory compliance. 

The FSIS Verification Plan identifies your proposed corrective actions, the regulatory 

requirement(s), and the PHIS Task under which FSIS officials will verify the 

implementation and effectiveness of your proposed action plan.