A slaughtered pig part processing plant including a conveyor with at least one retaining assembly for a pig part and a pig part deskinner below the conveyor. The deskinner including a knife and a skin gripper, wherein the said conveyor is configured for advancing the retaining assembly in a machine direction (T) past the deskinner. A deskinner carrier structure including one or more actuators for moving the deskinner between an upper position and a lower position. The knife and the skin gripper configured for engaging in the upper position skin (S) of the pig part suspended from the retaining assembly advanced to the deskinner by the conveyor, and to progressively cut off and remove the skin (S) when moved to the lower position.

Systems and methods for automated monitoring and control of food processing systems are disclosed. Data from one or more controllers of a food processing system is received during operation of the food processing system at a remote food processing facility. Values of one or more operating parameters of the food processing system are monitored, based on the received data. At least one event of interest occurring during the operation of the food processing system is detected, based on the monitored values of the one or more operating parameters. Control signals for adjusting a configuration of the food processing system are transmitted to the one or more controllers, based on the detected event.

An articulating, rotating poultry shackle. The shackle has a central member conventionally coupled to a picking line of the processing facility, a fixed hanging portion rigidly coupled to the central member, and an articulating hanging portion rotatably coupled to the fixed hanging portion. A mounting assembly coupled to the central member rotatably attaches the central member to the picking line such that at least three degrees of rotational freedom are provided to the articulating hanging portion of the shackle.

An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure provides a system for rotating a product during processing comprising a shackle system comprising a trolley, a rotator, and a rotating shackle and a track wherein the trolley is coupled to the track and configured to undergo translational motion along the track causing the shackle system to move along the track and wherein and the rotator is configured to undergo rotational kinematics causing rotation of the rotating shackle.

The disclosed technology includes systems and methods for continuously supplying livestock to a processing plant. The disclosed technology can include an enclosure configured to house livestock. The enclosure can include an enclosure entrance, an enclosure exit, and moveable walls to partition the enclosure into separate pens and automatically direct the livestock from the enclosure entrance toward the enclosure exit. A passageway can be connected to the enclosure exit and include moveable walls to automatically direct the livestock from the enclosure exit toward a processing plant. The moveable walls can be configured to move at a predetermined speed such that the plurality of livestock enter the enclosure as offspring, are reared in the enclosure, and are directed through the enclosure exit into the passageway approximately when the plurality of livestock have reached slaughter weight.

The disclosed technology includes systems and methods for continuously supplying livestock to a processing plant. The disclosed technology can include an enclosure configured to house livestock. The enclosure can include an enclosure entrance, an enclosure exit, and moveable walls to partition the enclosure into separate pens and automatically direct the livestock from the enclosure entrance toward the enclosure exit. A passageway can be connected to the enclosure exit and include moveable walls to automatically direct the livestock from the enclosure exit toward a processing plant. The moveable walls can be configured to move at a predetermined speed such that the plurality of livestock enter the enclosure as offspring, are reared in the enclosure, and are directed through the enclosure exit into the passageway approximately when the plurality of livestock have reached slaughter weight.

An animal carcass apparatus includes a support structure, a butchering platform and a carcass holding device. The butchering platform is moveably connected with the support structure and is constructed to support the mass of a person, and the carcass holding device includes a base and a securement mechanism. The carcass holding device is arranged in proximity with the butchering platform such that when a person is on the platform and a carcass is on the carcass holding device, the person contacts the carcass to butcher the carcass and moves the butchering platform to adjust the position of the person relative to the carcass holding device. Preferably, the butchering platform includes a linear actuator for vertical movement of the butchering platform. A method for processing beef includes processing beef with the animal carcass apparatus.

An anesthetization apparatus for anesthetization of four-legged slaughter animals, prior to slaughter, wherein the anesthetization apparatus includes: a receiving section configured to receive a pre-filled box containing one or more slaughter animals; a anesthetization compartment; a transport mechanism for transporting the received box between the receiving section and the anesthetization compartment; and a removal mechanism for removing the box from the anesthetization compartment, wherein the anesthetization apparatus further comprises a stress-reducing compartment configured for receiving the box from the receiving section, accommodating the box for a period of time for calming the slaughter animals in the received box before anesthetizing; and wherein the transport mechanism is configured to transport the received box between the receiving section and the stress-reducing compartment and from the stress-reducing compartment to the anesthetization compartment.

A method comprises: receiving meat having an animal identifier, transporting the meat or a first meat portion on a conveyor during a process, sensors being positioned along the conveyor, and the meat and the first meat portion not being physically marked with the animal identifier; receiving sensor outputs during the process each characterizing the meat or the first meat portion; assigning, by a frontend component implemented using a first processor and a first memory, native identifiers to the meat or to the first meat portion using the sensor outputs; defining, by the frontend component, events regarding the process, the events being defined based on heuristics about the meat or the first meat portion; and storing, by an identifier manager implemented using a second processor and a second memory, the events in an append-only database, wherein the append-only database associates the native identifiers with the animal identifier.

Systems and methods for rotating a product during processing including a shackle system including a trolley, a rotator, and a rotating shackle and a track. The trolley is coupled to the track and configured to undergo translational motion along the track causing the shackle system to move along the track. The rotator is configured to undergo rotational kinematics causing rotation of the rotating shackle.