~ United States Department of Agriculture 

March 18, 2024 

Honest Meats, LLC 

M7420+V7420 ELECTRONIC MAIL on March 18, 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 HELD IN ABEYANCE 

On March 13, 2024, your establishment received official notification from the Food Safety and 

Inspection Service (FSIS) of the suspension of the assignment of inspection personnel for slaughter 

operations at Honest Meats, LLC, Est. M7420 + V7420. The decision to suspend inspection at 

your establishment was based on the determination by FSIS that your establishment failed to 

slaughter and handle animals humanely. 

On March 14 & 15, 2024, you provided FSIS with proposed responses to the suspension action. 

Your responses outlined written corrective and preventive measures to bring your establishment 

into compliance with humane handling of livestock requirements and to achieve compliance with 

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

Humane Methods of Slaughter act of 1978 (HMSA) (7 U.S.C. 1901 et seq.), and federal regulations 

{Title 9 of the Code of Federal Regulations (9 CFR) parts 313}. Based on your submitted written 

assurances, we have determined that the suspension of the assignment of inspectors for slaughter 

operations at your plant will be held in abeyance, in accordance with 9 CFR Part 500.5(e). 

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

corrective and preventive measures have been effectively implemented. Plant personnel should 

monitor operations to prevent violations of humane handling and slaughter from occurring in the 

future. It is also important for you to understand the responsibility of FSIS to initiate action when 

there is a failure to operate in accordance with 9 CFR Part 313 of the regulations. 

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

importance of the Agency’s verification activities. This FSIS Verification Plan is designed to 

verify that your establishment fully implements the corrective actions proffered in your proposed 

corrective actions, and that these revisions and corrective actions are effective in assuring ongoing 

regulatory compliance. It identifies your corrective action elements, the relevant regulatory 

requirements, the PHIS task under which corrective action elements will be verified, and the 

monitoring frequency. Only FSIS can amend the verification plan and any modifications to your 

submitted acceptable corrective actions made during the abeyance period will need to be submitted 

in writing to FSIS for verification of compliance prior to implementation by your establishment. 

FSIS will begin verification of your proposed actions before startup of your next scheduled 

slaughter. 
A. Gu ton, DDMIRDO/FO 

Lauren Iverson, Managing Pai1ner Notice ofSuspension Held in Abeyance 

Honest Meats LLC, M7420+V7420 March 14, 2024 

Please be advised that, as a federally inspected establishment, you are expected to comply with 

FSIS regulations and to take appropriate cotTective action to prevent Inhumane Handling of 

Livestock at your establishment. Your failure to comply with these requirements or to implement 

the measures in yom action plan could result in reinstatement of the suspension of inspection at 

your establishment or other appropriate administrative or legal action. 

Ifyou 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 ~:~~~4.o3.1s 10:s2:19 

-04'00' 

Todd Furey 

District Manager 

cc: S. Johnson, EARO/FO 

L. Horte11 RD/CID/OIEA 

, HHECIFO 

T. Furey, DMIRDOIFO 

R. Mmphy, DDMIRDO/FO 

DCS/RDO/FO 

, DVMS/RDO/FO 

, SEIAO/RDO/FO 

, Program Manager/VDACS 

, Inspection Manager/VDACS 

, Supervisor/VDACS 

State Public Health Veterinarian/VDACS 

, State Public Health Veterinai·ian/VDACS 

, Inspector in ChargeNDACS 

Qua11erly Enforcement Repo11 

Establishment File (Est. M7420) 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Establishment Name: Honest Meats 

Establishment Number: M7420 

Two-Week Period Ending: 

Reason for Verification: On 03/14/2024, Establishment M7420 was issued an NOS for failure 

to meet 9 CFR 313 of the regulations. On 03/18/2024, the establishment was issued a 

NOSHIA after submitting acceptable corrective actions and preventive measures. 

Information for Establishment Management: This verification plan was created from the 

corrective actions and preventive measures which were submitted to, and which were 

accepted by, the Raleigh District Office. As such, any changes to these corrective actions and 

preventive measures needs to be approved by the Raleigh District Office prior to 

implementation. 

Instructions for completion of Humane Handling and Slaughter Verification form: 

1. "Results of Verification" column should be recorded as "Acceptable", "Unacceptable", or 

"N/A" 

2. "Inspection Actions" column should be used to document unacceptable findings or any 

additional corrective actions taken in compliance with 9 CFR 313. 

3. The implementation and effectiveness of the establishment's corrective actions should be 

verified at the frequencies stated below. The in-plant inspection team (IPP) can request, 

through supervisory channels, a change in the frequencies when the determination is made 

that the establishment has effectively implemented the corrective 

actions. 4. Each day 

verification activities are performed, IPP should add a Directed Livestock Humane Handling 

Verification task in PHIS and use the justification "Verification Plan for Enforcement Actions" to 

justify the scheduling of the Directed task. 

5. IPP will provide bi-weekly verification updates detailing the results of verification activities 

and submit to the SPHV/FLS for review. 

6. The completed bi-weekly report will be submitted via email to 

(b) (6)

, District 

Veterinary Medical Specialist, and to Mr. David Lilly, District Case Specialist. 

Items to Verify Results of 

Verification 

Inspection Actions 

1. Verify that hogs 

approximately 600 lbs. or 

greater are given a security 

stun with a hand-held 

captive bolt device. (Daily, 

for each slaughter day, as 

appropriate) 

2. Verify that the Kill Floor 

Supervisor or designee 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

monitors the stunning and 

security stun for 100% of 

the larger hogs. (Daily, for 

each slaughter day, as 

appropriate) 

3. Verify that monitoring 

results are documented on 

the Large Hog Stunning 

Monitoring Record. (Daily, 

for each slaughter day, as 

appropriate) 

4. Verify the effective 

stunning of larger hogs 

using the updated stunning 

procedure. (Daily, for each 

slaughter day, as 

appropriate) 

5. Verify that the new 

restraint system for cattle 

has been installed and is 

operational. (Once) 

6. Verify that pertinent 

employees have received 

training on the use of the 

new restraint system. 

(Once) 

7. Verify that all cattle 

presented for slaughter are 

restrained in the new 

restraint system. (Daily, as 

applicable) 

8. Verify that all cattle are 

stunned using the .25 

caliber hand-held captive 

bolt stunning device (HHCB) 

and that the 9mm pistol is 

loaded and readily available 

as a backup. (Daily, as 

applicable) 

9. Verify that first cow of the 

day and every 5th cow 

thereafter (including the 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

final cow of the day) are 

monitored for use of 

restraint and stunning 

effectiveness. (Daily, as 

applicable) 

10. Verify that monitoring 

results are documented on 

the Head Restraint 

Knocking Effectiveness 

form. (Daily, as applicable) 

11. Verify that for cattle that 

are not able to be 

restrained in the new 

restraint system, the 

employees follow the 

Limited Restraint Stunning 

Protocol. (Daily, as 

applicable) 

12. Verify that cattle stunned 

using the Limited Restraint 

Protocol as stunned using 

the 9mm pistol, with the 

12-gauge shotgun loaded 

and readily available as a 

backup. (Daily, as 

applicable) 

13. Verify that 100% of cattle 

that are stunned using the 

Limited Restraint Protocol 

are monitored for stunning 

effectiveness. (Daily, as 

applicable) 

14. Verify that monitoring 

results for cattle using the 

Limited Restraint Protocol 

are documented on the 

Limited Restraint Knocking 

Effectiveness form. (Daily, 

as applicable) 

15. Verify that for all cattle 

being stunned, if the initial 

stun is ineffective, the 

primary stunner will reload 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the primary stunning device 

and attempt a second stun. 

If the second stun is 

ineffective, the backup 

stunner will step in and use 

the backup stunning device 

to make a third stun 

attempt. (Daily, as 

applicable) 

16. Verify that at least 4 

employees are available to 

work on the kill floor at all 

times (may include Logistics 

Manager, Operations 

Manager, or General 

Manager) and if 4 

employees are not 

available, then cattle 

slaughter operations will 

not start/continue. (Daily, 

as applicable) 

17. Verify that employees have 

received training on the 

new Pre-Op and Op SSOP 

procedures. (Once) 

18. Verify that trained kill floor 

employee (not identified as 

the primary or backup 

stunner for that day) 

identifies and evaluates the 

primary stunner and the 

backup stunner for any 

signs indicating a lack of 

fitness for performing 

stunning duties for that 

day. (Daily, as applicable) 

19. Verify that should either 

the primary or back stunner 

be evaluated and found to 

be unfit to perform those 

duties, they must be 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

replaced by another 

qualified employee (who 

also must meet the fitnessfor-duty standards). (Daily, 

as applicable) 

20. Verify that if either the 

primary or backup stunner 

are found to be unfit to 

perform stunning duties at 

any time during the day 

(Pre-Op or Op), they are 

replaced by another 

qualified employee. (Daily, 

as applicable) 

21. Verify that if another 

qualified employee is not 

available (refer to #16 

above), cattle slaughter 

may not start/continue 

until a qualified employee 

becomes available. (Daily, 

as applicable) 

22. Verify that the results of 

the daily Pre-Op and Op 

SSOP wellness checks are 

documented on the 

appropriate Pre-Op and Op 

SSOP forms. (Daily, as 

applicable) 

Comments and Recommendations 

Two-Week Period Ending: 

IIC Comments/Recommendation: 

SPHV Comments/Recommendation (if not the IIC): 

Regional Supervisor Comments/Recommendations (If applicable):