A poultry chiller includes a tank and an auger rotatably held in the tank. The auger includes a first auger section and a second auger section. The first auger section includes a first auger shaft and a first auger flight. The first auger flight includes a first helical portion on the first auger shaft and a first flight extension that extends away from the first helical portion. The second auger section includes a second auger shaft coupled to the first auger shaft and a second auger flight. The second auger flight includes a second helical portion on the second auger shaft and a second flight extension that extends away from the second helical portion. The chiller includes a hanger bearing assembly between the first and second auger sections and extending to an upper portion of the tank.

Intervention of contamination of an exposed carcass meat surface during processing of an animal carcass comprises providing a flexible sheet having first and second major surfaces comprising an antimicrobial agent on the first major surface of the flexible sheet, wherein the flexible sheet is food-contact safe; detaching a portion of hide from the carcass, thereby providing an exposed carcass meat surface; and placing the flexible sheet on the exposed carcass meat surface so that the antimicrobial agent contacts the exposed carcass meat surface. The flexible sheet is also described.

Provided, is a fully integrated system to monitor and control carcass weight to minimize weight loss in carcasses during the chilling cycle. This will be accomplished by incorporating a load cell and a radio frequency identification device on the trolley operating on the elevated track system extending through the packing plant, including the carcass chilling rooms. This method and apparatus will provide the needed location and weight data to control a water spray system to maintain a constant carcass weight during the entire chilling cycle.

Provided, is a fully integrated system to monitor and control carcass weight to minimize weight loss in carcasses during the chilling cycle. This will be accomplished by incorporating a load cell and a radio frequency identification device on the trolley operating on the elevated track system extending through the packing plant, including the carcass chilling rooms. This method and apparatus will provide the needed location and weight data to control a water spray system to maintain a constant carcass weight during the entire chilling cycle.

A poultry chiller includes a tank and an auger rotatably held in the tank. The auger includes a first auger section and a second auger section. The first auger section includes a first auger shaft and a first auger flight. The first auger flight includes a first helical portion on the first auger shaft and a first flight extension that extends away from the first helical portion. The second auger section includes a second auger shaft coupled to the first auger shaft and a second auger flight. The second auger flight includes a second helical portion on the second auger shaft and a second flight extension that extends away from the second helical portion. The chiller includes a hanger bearing assembly between the first and second auger sections and extending to an upper portion of the tank.

A system for processing a suspended beef carcass as the carcass is moved along a defined path. A robotic arm is carried on a moveable table and has mounted thereon a servo motor-driven band saw capable of effecting a splitting operation on the beef carcass. The band saw is counterbalanced by a mass having a weight less than the weight of the band saw, and the robotic arm has a maximum load-carrying capacity less than the weight of the band saw. A torque monitor for the servo motor detects breaks in the band saw or breaks in the support for the band saw. A vision-based sensor system detects location of a tail bone on the beef carcass and identifies an age-indicating indicia. The system includes a controller in communication with the carcass rail, the carcass processing device and motor, and the vision-based sensor system.

An apparatus and method for applying an antimicrobial agent to whole or split animal carcasses include a closed or essentially closed chamber for limiting the escape of antimicrobial agent to the environment during antimicrobial treatment of the carcass. In one embodiment, a series of carcass cabinet panels moves in line with the passing animal carcass and forms an enclosure around the carcass by means of panels closing ahead of and behind the carcass. In another embodiment, the direction and spray pattern of positively charged aerosolized antimicrobial particles in a carcass cabinet is controlled by attracting the particles to preselected negatively charged regions within the carcass cabinet.

Method and apparatus (1, 11) for longitudinally cutting poultry legs along a contour defined by an inwardly extending bone structure. The method comprises the steps of, and the apparatus (1, 11) having means (25) for, suspending at least one poultry leg at its ankle joint, and conveying the thus suspended poultry leg along a pre-defined path of conveyance (21). At least one cutting unit (1) with a directionable knife (73) is provided in the pre-defined path of conveyance (21). The at least one poultry leg is positioning such that it is lined-up for a longitudinal cutting engagement by the directionable knife (73), and the directionable knife (73) is brought into cutting engagement with the thus positioned poultry leg. During cutting engagement, position and cutting direction of the directionable knife are continuously adjusted to follow the contour defined by the bone structure of the poultry leg, while the positioned poultry leg is conveyed past the directionable knife (73).

A system and a method for automatically loosening or removing shoulder blades from shoulders of animal carcasses includes a holding means operably connected to transport means, and is provided for securing a shoulder selected from the shoulders at the leg portion and transporting the shoulder in a transport direction. A separator means is provided including an elongated separation section arranged to abut the shoulder blade as the shoulder blade is transported past the elongated separation section. The elongated separation section is positioned at an angle relative to the transport direction of the shoulder such that an increasing pulling force is obtained onto the shoulder blade until the shoulder blade is either loosened or separated from the shoulder.

A bone removal device for a chicken bonjiri includes a rotating conveyor mechanism that moves a plurality of receivers which are arrayed in a circumferential direction about a center of a disc taken as a support shaft, intermittently at a constant speed in a horizontal direction and rotates; a holder of a stamping punch mechanism that stamps and removes a coccyx in each of the bonjiris, which are mounted on the receivers, from the bonjiri in a state where this rotating conveyor mechanism is stopped; and an arm of a processed meat delivery mechanism that carries the bonjiri, from which such a bone is removed, out to the device by reversing each of the receivers.