A meat processing system comprising a blade, a blade movement assembly, a controller and a conveyor. The blade is configured to cut a carcass into pieces and lies substantially in a blade plane. The conveyor is configured to move the carcass along a first axis. The controller is configured to control the blade movement assembly to rotate the blade or a portion of the blade to vary an angle between the blade plane and the first axis. The blade movement assembly may also be configured to translate the blade to move the blade transverse to the first axis. A method of operating a meat processing system is also disclosed. The method includes conveying a carcass or section of carcass along a first axis, controlling a blade movement assembly to rotate a blade or a portion of a blade to vary the angle between a blade plane and the first axis, and cutting the carcass or section of carcass into pieces.

Presented is a rib paring device with a linear motion drive, that features a piston rod, that is flexibly guided in the rib paring device in a direction that is longitudinal to the stationary direction of the rib paring device, and that exercises a driving force on the piston rod in the stationary line of action of the rib paring device, the direction of which will change directions periodically, and with combination made up of a blade and a blade holder that features a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of which is detachably connected with the piston rod and the distal end of which is detachably connected with the blade.

A cutting system is provided for cutting carcass parts while the carcass parts are carried by carriers connected to and moved by an overhang transport system. A detection device is provided for determining a cutting position of an incoming carcass part. At least one cutting device having an upwardly and downwardly facing surface structure is provided and a moving mechanism is mechanically connected to the at least one cutting device for controlling the position of the at least one cutting device on the basis of the determined cutting position. A carcass displacement device is arranged to initiate displacement of the carcass part away from the at least one cutting position while the carcass part or a resulting sub-part carried by a carrier and is located between the upstream cutting edge and the downstream edge.

Compositions and methods for cleaning and decontaminating animal carcasses are disclosed. The compositions comprise a mud ball remover having a thioglycolate salt and a base and an antimicrobial agent effective to remove mud balls and reduce microbial contamination of a hide surface at ambient temperatures. The methods comprise cleaning and decontaminating an animal carcass by applying the disclosed compositions onto the surface of the animal carcass to soften and loosen foreign debris attached to the carcass followed by mechanically removing the foreign debris while preserving the integrity and quality of the hide byproduct and resulting leather articles.

An apparatus including a main body, a grabber assembly, and a killing assembly. The grabber assembly includes a grabber head sized to hold a leg and/or neck of poultry. The killing assembly includes a housing removably attached to the main body, a blade removably located within the housing, a rod, at least one tensioning device for placing the rod under tension, a holder device for holding the rod under tension and a killing-trigger for releasing the holder means. Once released, the rod is forcefully sprung in a forward direction, moving the blade over the grabber head thereby decapitating the poultry being grasped at the neck by the grabber head. The apparatus aids a user in handling poultry and quickly, easily, and humanely decapitating poultry.

An apparatus including a main body, a grabber assembly, and a killing assembly. The grabber assembly includes a grabber head sized to hold a leg and/or neck of poultry. The killing assembly includes a housing removably attached to the main body, a blade removably located within the housing, a rod, at least one tensioning device for placing the rod under tension, a holder device for holding the rod under tension and a killing-trigger for releasing the holder means. Once released, the rod is forcefully sprung in a forward direction, moving the blade over the grabber head thereby decapitating the poultry being grasped at the neck by the grabber head. The apparatus aids a user in handling poultry and quickly, easily, and humanely decapitating poultry.

An apparatus including a main body, a grabber assembly, and a killing assembly. The grabber assembly includes a grabber head sized to hold a leg and/or neck of poultry. The killing assembly includes a housing removably attached to the main body, a blade removably located within the housing, a rod, at least one tensioning means for placing the rod under tension, a holder means for holding the rod under tension and a killing-trigger for releasing the holder means. Once released, the rod is forcefully sprung in a forward direction, moving the blade over the grabber head thereby decapitating the poultry being grasped at the neck by the grabber head. The apparatus aids a user in handling poultry and quickly, easily, and humanely decapitating poultry.

An apparatus including a main body, a grabber assembly, and a killing assembly. The grabber assembly includes a grabber head sized to hold a leg and/or neck of poultry. The killing assembly includes a housing removably attached to the main body, a blade removably located within the housing, a rod, at least one tensioning means for placing the rod under tension, a holder means for holding the rod under tension and a killing-trigger for releasing the holder means. Once released, the rod is forcefully sprung in a forward direction, moving the blade over the grabber head thereby decapitating the poultry being grasped at the neck by the grabber head. The apparatus aids a user in handling poultry and quickly, easily, and humanely decapitating poultry.

A tissue separating device for separating an intestine from a cluster of organs harvested from an animal includes a guiding device having at least one guiding surface configured to contact the intestine, and a tissue severing device configured to provide a separation in the tissue close to the intestine. The guiding device further includes a first guiding member and a second guiding member being movable with respect to each other to define a gap configured to accommodate said tissue. The gap has a variable gap width. The tissue severing device is configured to be operative in the gap, where the tissue separating device further includes a resilient member configured to exert a force on at least one of the first guiding member and the second guiding member, the resilient member force driving the first guiding member and the second guiding member towards each other.

A freshness/degree of maturation evaluating device for evaluating freshness and/or degree of maturation of food animal, freshness/degree of maturation evaluating device provided with: temperature parameter calculation unit that calculates temperature parameter regarding storage time and temperature in arbitrary area inside food animal, parameter based on temperature in arbitrary area inside food animal, determined by storage time and unsteady heat conduction equation; rate constant parameter calculation unit that calculates rate constant parameter regarding sequential decomposition reactions of various ATP-associated compounds contained infood animal, parameter being set based on rate constants in food animal determined by using relation based on storage time of food animal and measured values of ATP-associated compound concentrations; ATP-associated compound concentration calculation unit that calculates ATP-associated compound concentrations by sequential decomposition reaction calculation model using temperature parameter and rate constant parameter; and freshness/degree of maturation evaluation unit that computes K value and/or FI value from ATP-associated compound concentrations.