The invention relates to a plant and method for the treatment of whole muscle meat, wherein the proposed plant includes a brine injection apparatus (1) with a conveyor device (10); three successive injector heads (20), each provided with a plurality of injector needles (21) connected to pressurized brine supply devices (30); one of said injector heads being connected to a first pressurized brine supply device (31), being independent from the remaining injector heads (20); and said plant also including at least one massage application apparatus (2) including a rotary drum (40) of between 140 cm and 210 cm for loading the whole muscle meat after injection thereof, operated at between 14 and 20 revolutions per minute, obtaining an increase in weight of the whole muscle meat greater than 220%.

The invention relates to an automated station for salting meat pieces in a predetermined manner, enabling a method for salting poultry meat pieces to be automated, thus increasing productivity and thereby improving safety conditions. The station comprises motorised supply means for supplying meat pieces (P) in a forward direction, handling means for handling meat pieces in order to handle the meat piece coming from the supply means, salt supply means configured to provide salt on an inner and outer area of the meat piece (P), as well as a retrieval system for retrieving salt coming from the salt supply means.

Systems and methods for providing food intervention, pumping up, and tenderization are discussed. While such systems and methods can include any suitable component, in some cases, they include an injectade reservoir, a filter, a first pump configured to force injectade from the injectade reservoir and through the filter, a nozzle configured to inject injectade into a food product without having the nozzle contact the food, and a valve that is configured to selectively open and close to regulate when and how much of the injectade that passes through the filter is forced out of the nozzle. In some cases, the described systems further include a chiller configured to cool injectade in the reservoir, a sensor configured to determine a distance between the nozzle and food item, an actuator configured to move the nozzle, and/or a computer processor that controls an amount of injectade sprayed from the nozzle. Other implementations are described.

The invention relates to a plant and method for the treatment of whole muscle meat, wherein the proposed plant includes a brine injection apparatus (1) with a conveyor device (10); three successive injector heads (20), each provided with a plurality of injector needles (21) connected to pressurized brine supply devices (30); one of said injector heads being connected to a first pressurized brine supply device (31), being independent from the remaining injector heads (20); and said plant also including at least one massage application apparatus (2) including a rotary drum (40) of between 140 cm and 210 cm for loading the whole muscle meat after injection thereof, operated at between 14 and 20 revolutions per minute, obtaining an increase in weight of the whole muscle meat greater than 220%.

Systems and methods for providing food intervention, pumping up, and tenderization are discussed. While such systems and methods can include any suitable component, in some cases, they include an injectate reservoir, a filter, a first pump configured to force injectate from the injectate reservoir and through the filter, a nozzle configured to inject injectate into a food product without having the nozzle contact the food, and a valve that is configured to selectively open and close to regulate when and how much of the injectate that passes through the filter is forced out of the nozzle. In some cases, the described systems further include a chiller configured to cool injectate in the reservoir, a sensor configured to determine a distance between the nozzle and food item, an actuator configured to move the nozzle, and/or a computer processor that controls an amount of injectate sprayed from the nozzle. Other implementations are described.

The present invention relates to a sensor arrangement for a food processing machine having at least processing tool reversibly performing a working movement, the sensor arrangement being provided for monitoring the at least one processing tool. The sensor arrangement includes at least one evaluation unit and at least one sensor unit. The sensor assembly is adapted to be connected to at least one further sensor unit such that the at least one evaluation unit and the at least two sensor units are arranged in series. The present invention further relates to a food processing machine which comprises at least one processing tool reversibly performing a working movement, a hold-down device for holding down a food product to be processed, and at least one sensor arrangement which is associated with the hold-down device as well as to a hold-down device for holding down a food product to be processed in a food processing machine, which includes at least one sensor arrangement which is associated with the hold-down device.

A needle cleaning system that backflushes an inner passage of needles (40) successively with a cleaning solution, such as caustic soda, pressurized air and a washing liquid. The needle cleaning machine has an airtight container (17) closed at the top by a support base (15) with holes (16) where a group of needles (40) are inserted in a position in which an upper portion of the needles, where an inlet opening is located, is outside the airtight container and a lower portion of the needles, where outlet ports are located, is inside the airtight container (17). The container (17) is connected to ducts (19, 21, 23, 25, 27) provided with valves (20, 24, 26, 28) by which the cleaning solution driven by a pump (29), the pressurized air (23) and the washing liquid (25) are supplied to the containers (17).

A reciprocal pump injector having a hollow cylinder with a hollow piston rod slideably retained within the hollow cylinder. A hollow handle is formed at a top end of the hollow piston rod. A piston is attached at a bottom end of the hollow piston rod. An upper ball valve is formed at a top end of the hollow piston rod and a lower ball valve formed at a top end of a suction tube attached to a bottom end of the hollow cylinder. A hollow spout extends from the hollow handle and a hose extends from the spout. A hollow needle having a closed sharp tip is attached to the free end of the hose and the shaft of the needle has two to six openings along the shaft of the hollow needle. The pump injector system allows injection of particulate seasoning, such as pepper and garlic, as well as liquid seasoning, through the plurality of openings in the needle and into the meat.

A machine for injecting brine into meat pieces includes a conveyor having a support surface for conveying meat pieces in a forward step by step movement, each step having a predetermined length, first and second injection heads consecutively arranged over the conveyor relative to the forward direction, each injection head having an array of injection needles covering a whole width of the conveyor support surface. A length of the conveyor support surface corresponds to the predetermined length of the steps of the conveyor step by step movement, head driving device for alternately reciprocating the injection heads between an upper position, enabling the meat pieces to pass under the injection heads, and a lower position, where the injection needles are stuck into the meat pieces located under the injection heads, and brine supplying device supplying brine to the injection needles at least when the injection heads are at their lower position.

A method for cleaning, sanitizing, disinfecting and/or sterilizing a filter and/or one or more needles of a food injector device with a cleaning device, the method includes: supplying water and electric current to the cleaning device; treating the filter and/or the one or more needles of the food injector device with the plasma activated water; the cleaning device includes either: i) an atmospheric-pressure plasma device to produce the plasma activated water or ii) a device coupled to the cleaning device for preparing the plasma activated water; and before the treating step, the method includes a pre-treatment step, where the filter and/or the one or more needles of the food injector device are cleaned and/or rinsed with a fluid other than the plasma activated water.