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

Meat processing equipment is disclosed that includes a first element having a first face; a second element having a second face. The first and second faces extend parallel to one another and define a common plane between the first and second faces. The first and second elements are relatively movable with respect to one another. Yieldable arresting features are included for yieldably arresting the first and second elements in at least one predetermined position of relative movement, the yieldable arresting features include cooperating first and second permanent magnets, associated with at least one of the first and second elements.

An apparatus for transporting poultry bodies/parts has a transport saddle fastened to a transport unit. A holding apparatus fastens the saddle to the unit, and has a receptacle body for the unit and a fastening body for the saddle. The fastening body is releasably and rotatably connected to the body. The holding apparatus has a latching device to lock the fastening body and saddle, having a latching lever and two latching bolts. The lever on a main body of the receptacle body pivots from a locking position where the lever engaged the bolt into a release position where the lever is out of engagement with the bolt. A first actuating member actuates the lever from the locking into the release position and a second actuating member rotates the fastening body in the release position. First and second magnetic elements with unlike poles pull the lever into the locking position.

An offset weighing apparatus and method for use with poultry processing equipment includes a weigh assembly to weigh an animal connected to a shackle assembly as the shackle moves in contact with a force sensor along a conveyor line. A diverter assembly laterally displaces a shackle retaining the animal from below the conveyor line into engagement with the force sensor. The bending axis of the force sensor is approximately parallel to the displaced shackle. The angular position of the bending axis and shackle, and relative positions, friction, and forces of the components of the shackle assembly and weigh assembly are analyzed to calculate the weight of the animal connected to the shackle without removing the animal from the shackle or ceasing movement of the conveyor line.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an auger dip apparatus for the application of antimicrobial solution to raw food. Embodiments of the present disclosure may use an auger as a single moving part to move the food work pieces through the application area for antimicrobial solution. Embodiments of the present disclosure are simple with only one moving auger part to move the food pieces, and the bearing for the moving part, supporting the shaft of the auger, may be configured to be outside of the cabinet with the reservoir of the antimicrobial solution, so that the bearing is not in contact with the antimicrobial solution. This provides for less maintenance and downtime, particularly unscheduled downtime, than a system using more complicated exposed parts. The present disclosure also permits a more compact and lighter configuration for an assembled application unit.

Method and apparatus for processing slaughtered poultry that is conveyed in a slaughter line of a slaughter house, in order to establish at the start of said slaughter line whether the poultry was alive or dead on arrival at the slaughter house. Such can include the detection of a body parameter of the slaughtered poultry when the poultry is suspended by the legs in the slaughter line after stunning said poultry, and wherein an absorption spectrum of blood of the slaughtered poultry is determined.

The present invention relates to a shackle for processing hanging poultry comprising a poultry catching element; a suspension rod; and a fastening hook; wherein one side of the suspension rod is pivotably connected with a pivotable connection with the fastening hook and the opposite side of the suspension rod is moveably coupled with the poultry catching element by a moveable coupling. The invention also provides a method for attaching a shackle for processing hanging poultry on an overhead conveyor.

The invention provides a device and a method for processing slaughter animals, in particular slaughtered poultry such as chickens, and/or parts thereof. The device comprises a driving system for driving an element to be driven of the device. The, driving system comprises a driving element, a transfer element, which is driven by the driving element in use and which is rigidly connected during normal operation to the element to be driven, as well as overload protection means which are configured to rigidly connect the processing element and the transfer element during normal operation and to allow relative movement between the processing element and the transfer element in an overload situation if a force that acts between the processing element and the transfer element exceeds a threshold value. The overload protection means comprise a first connecting element forming part of one of the transfer element and the element to be driven and a second connecting element forming part of the other one of the transfer element and the element to be driven, wherein the first connecting element is configured as a first magnet element (36) and the second connecting element is either magnetisable or configured as a second magnet element.

The invention provides a device and a method for processing slaughter animals, in particular slaughtered poultry such as chickens, and/or parts thereof. The device comprises a driving system for driving an element to be driven of the device. The, driving system comprises a driving element, a transfer element, which is driven by the driving element in use and which is rigidly connected during normal operation to the element to be driven, as well as overload protection means which are configured to rigidly connect the processing element and the transfer element during normal operation and to allow relative movement between the processing element and the transfer element in an overload situation if a force that acts between the processing element and the transfer element exceeds a threshold value. The overload protection means comprise a first connecting element forming part of one of the transfer element and the element to be driven and a second connecting element forming part of the other one of the transfer element and the element to be driven, wherein the first connecting element is configured as a first magnet element (36) and the second connecting element is either magnetisable or configured as a second magnet element.

Disclosed herein are systems for tenderizing meat samples using High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) comprising one or more transducer arrays. Further disclosed are methods and uses of the systems to tenderize meat samples.