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.

A cutting apparatus for cutting a food object includes at least one cutting blade, an actuator arranged for moving the cutting blade before and during cutting, and an element comprising a receiving section arranged for receiving and abutting the cutting blade, and a supporting section arranged for supporting a food object before and during cutting. During cutting, the supporting section is arranged for being displaced, such as displaced by elastic deformation, by the cutting blade with respect to a position of the supporting section prior to cutting. During moving of the cutting blade, the cutting blade is arranged for displacing the supporting section subsequent to the cutting blade abutting the receiving section. The cutting blade and the element are arranged for being continuously in contact with each other.

An animal ribcage primal cut having a bone array located therein is portioned into one or more sub primal cuts, each having at least one bone located therein. The primal cut is scanned at scanning station 14 while being conveyed on a conveyor 12 to determine the physical characteristics of the primal cut. A processor 18 determines how to portion the primal cut into desired sub primal cuts in accordance with desired physical characteristics of the sub primal cut and production requirements for the sub primal cuts. A controller controls a cutter to divide the primal cut into one or more sub primal cuts according to the determination previously made on how to portion the primal cut into desired sub primal cuts.

A method and a system provide a feedback data indicating quality of a food processing performed by an operator. The method and system involve acquiring at least one image data of a food product from an operator; and processing the acquired image data. The processing includes detecting whether undesired objects are present in the food product, obtaining, in case undesired objects are detected, position data of the undesired objects within the food product, and utilizing the position data in issuing a feedback indicator indicating a position where the detected undesired objects are present within the food product processed by the operator.

An apparatus for detecting surface characteristics on food objects conveyed by a conveyor, has a first imaging device for capturing two-dimensional image data (2D) and a second imaging device for capturing three-dimensional image data (3D) of a food object. At least one image processing unit is configured to utilize either one of the 2D or the 3D image data in determining whether a potential defect is present on the surface of the food object. In case such a potential defect property is found, the image processing unit determines a surface position of the potential defect, and utilizes the remaining one of the 2D or the 3D image data in determining whether an actual defect is present on the surface of the food object at the indicated surface position. Further, the apparatus has an output unit for outputting defect related data in case both of the 2D and the 3D image data indicate that an actual defect is present on the surface of the food object at the indicated surface position.

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.

Method and system for optically assessing properties of a body on at least one sectional surface of at least one cut introduced in the body in question. The sectional surface is thereby optically recorded directly during the cutting operation by an image acquisition unit, namely, by means of optical sensors of a blade of a cutting tool that is designed for this purpose. The data resulting from a digitization of the sensor signals that have been converted into electrical signals are then processed in an image processing device to visualize the at least one sectional surface on at least one display or/and to create reports in regard to the characteristics of the body or/and in order to classify the body in accordance with a classification system, or/and to derive control signals for a subsequent further processing of the body or of parts produced by the execution of the at least one cut.

A system (100) for cutting work product (104) into portions (P) and unloading the portions includes a conveyance system (102) for carrying the workpieces and portions, as well as a scanner (110) for scanning the work products. A cutter system (120) composed of cutter assemblies (122) carried by carrier systems (124) may be arranged in an array or series along the conveyance system for cutting, trimming, and portioning the work products (104) into end pieces (P) of desired sizes or other physical parameters. An unloading system (130) composed of one or more unloading assemblies/units/apparatus (132) are carried by the same carrier systems (124) used to carry the cutter assemblies (122) to pick up the portioned pieces (P) and either move them to a different location or replace the portioned workpieces back onto the conveyance system after the trim of the workpiece has been removed.

A method and a system for automatically tracking a food item in a processing facility involves a food item that is received in a check-in position where a check-in image is captured, and a unique identification insignia, UII is generated based on the check-in image. The food item is handled and moved to a check-out position where a check-out image is captured. To facilitate automatic tracking of the food items, a recognition process is carried out to establish if a check-out image can be assigned to the created UII, and a data-record is, in that case, generated with the recognized UII.

The apparatus for detecting physical characteristics of food products, such as poultry, meat or fish, includes: a conveyor for transporting the products; a floating belt, located above the conveyor so as to define an analysis zone (Z) therebetween; a first and a second detecting device, located on opposite sides of an advancement path, each adapted to acquire a multiplicity of partial profiles of the products in the analysis zone (Z), a processing unit connected to the first and second detecting devices and including a first shape module configured to determine the conformation of the external surface of a first portion of the product, based on the partial profiles acquired by the first detecting device; and a second shape module (62) configured to determine the conformation of the external surface of a second portion of the product, based on the partial profiles acquired by the second detecting device.