The invention relates to a system for processing slaughtered products, comprising a first and second circulating element and first and second product carriers cooperating with these, and a transmission device for coupling the first and second circulating elements for opposite rotation, wherein a slaughtered product is transferred from a first to a second product carrier at a transfer location, comprising a first and second gear wheel connected to the first and second circulating element, wherein the first gear wheel is coupled to the second gear wheel via a first and second transmission gear wheel for rotation, and a displacement device which is adapted to displace the centre of gravity of the first and/or second transmission gear wheel while maintaining the toothed engagement, in such a way that an angular position of the first gear wheel changes with respect to an angular position of the second gear wheel. The invention also relates to a method for positioning product carriers of such a system.

The present invention relates to a method and a device for treating and/or transporting food items. The apparatus and method are designed to facilitate treating food items in liquid. The device of the present invention is designed as a spiral pump with a tubing that is wound around a frame structure which rotates around a horizontal axis. The apparatus of the present invention and the use thereof provides a method to treat food items in a spiral pump, where the food items are treated cycle by cycle in the pump.

A method of processing poultry portions determines at a control unit a target weight of a cut poultry portion; inspects a poultry portion using an inspection unit to determine a mass distribution of said poultry portion and providing said mass distribution to the control unit; calculates a cutting plan of the poultry portion based on the target weight and the mass distribution using the control unit; uses a mechanical gripper so as to grip the poultry portion and arrange said poultry portion for execution of the cutting plan; and cuts the poultry portion using a cutting unit in accordance with the cutting plan so as to produce a cut poultry portion in accordance with the target weight. A system for processing poultry portions is configured to perform the foregoing method, among others.

A bone-meat separation device for a bone-in limb meat according to an embodiment is a bone-meat separation device for a bone-in limb meat for separating a meat part adhering to a trunk-side end bone head of a bone-in limb meat, the device including a plurality of clamp portions for conveying the bone-in limb meat along a conveying path, a guide portion disposed on the conveying path and forming a V-shaped guide space with an open end thereof being directed upstream in a conveying direction of the bone-in limb meat, a cutter disposed at a downstream end of the guide space in the conveying direction, and a holding portion holding the meat part below the guide portion and the cutter. The holding portion is configured to hold the meat part of the bone-in limb meat when the meat part is cut from the trunk-side end bone head with the cutter.

A bone-meat separation device for a bone-in limb meat according to an embodiment is a bone-meat separation device for a bone-in limb meat for separating a meat part adhering to a trunk-side end bone head of a bone-in limb meat, the device including a plurality of clamp portions for conveying the bone-in limb meat along a conveying path, a guide portion disposed on the conveying path and forming a V-shaped guide space with an open end thereof being directed upstream in a conveying direction of the bone-in limb meat, a cutter disposed at a downstream end of the guide space in the conveying direction, and a holding portion holding the meat part below the guide portion and the cutter. The holding portion is configured to hold the meat part of the bone-in limb meat when the meat part is cut from the trunk-side end bone head with the cutter.

A method for treating an animal carcass (3) after slaughtering, comprising: a) placing the carcass (3) into a chamber (2), and b) disinfecting the carcass (3) within the chamber (2) by maintaining an oxygen concentration within the chamber (2) above 20% and maintaining a temperature of the carcass (3) above 10° C. With the described method and use an animal carcass (3) can be disinfected particularly efficiently, in particular with respect to campylobacter bacteria. Therefore, the carcass (3) is subjected to an oxygen concentration above 20% and to a temperature above 10° C.

Deskinning apparatus for a poultry leg or part of a poultry leg, including a conveyor with conveyor hooks from which the poultry leg or part of the poultry leg is suspendable, and rollers below the conveyor that are rotatable in opposite directions and are provided with meshing teeth that are contactable with a skin on the poultry leg or part of the poultry leg that is suspended from the conveyor hooks for stripping the skin from the poultry leg or part of the poultry leg, wherein the rollers are movable up and down.

Deskinning apparatus for a poultry leg or part of a poultry leg, including a conveyor with conveyor hooks from which the poultry leg or part of the poultry leg is suspendable, and rollers below the conveyor that are rotatable in opposite directions and are provided with meshing teeth that are contactable with a skin on the poultry leg or part of the poultry leg that is suspended from the conveyor hooks for stripping the skin from the poultry leg or part of the poultry leg, wherein the rollers are movable up and down.

A Cutting unit and method for cutting meat parts from suspended previously eviscerated poultry carcasses, when the carcasses are each suspended upside-down by their legs from a shackle in an overhead conveyor that transports a succession of shackles through poultry cut-up apparatus. The cutting unit includes at least one cutting element. The cutting unit includes a guiding and positioning member for guiding and positioning a predetermined portion of a poultry carcass in respect of the at least one cutting element. The guiding and positioning member is associated with an auxiliary conveyor adapted to move synchronously with shackles in an overhead conveyor. The auxiliary conveyor has an endless chain articulated about first and second return sprocket. The articulated chain moves in a vertical plane parallel to a vertical plane common to a path of movement of the conveyor shackles.

A food-product loader has a conveyor passing through its cabinet, and the cabinet is formed with a bulk hopper. The loader is loaded with elongate pieces of food-product by way of dumping a heaping mass of the food-product pieces into the bulk hopper all at one time. The loader ultimately handles the heap of food-product pieces such that, the loader loads the pieces onto the conveyor in neat lanes, with individual pieces slightly spaced apart from one another. To do this, the loader is constructed with a series or array of soft-sided dispensing sleeves or funnels which are mechanically massaged to tease out one piece at a time, and only one piece at a time.