A removable self-centring magnetically-clampable food-inspection pipe apparatus comprising: a food-inspection pipe with a through-bore having a tubular pipe body through which the through-bore passes, and a first connector part at each end of the pipe body defining first seating surfaces; and second connector parts which each define second seating surfaces and on which each first connector part is respectively slidably demountably seatable, one of the first and/or second connector parts having at least in part a magnetically-attractable material, and the other of the corresponding first and/or second connector parts having a plurality of magnetic elements equi-angularly spaced about a bore axis of the pipe body, poles of consecutive magnetic elements being opposite to each other, so that, as the food-inspection pipe is introduced laterally to the bore axis, the first and second connector parts slidably engage and self-centre the food-inspection pipe. A food-inspection device is also provided in addition to a method of improving hygiene of a food-inspection device.

A method and system are provided for automatically portioning workpieces, such as food products, by simulating portioning the workpieces in accordance with the one or more desired shapes of the final piece(s) as a directly controlled physical characteristic (parameter/specification) as well as one or more resulting indirectly controlled physical characteristics (parameters/specifications). The desired shape(s) of the final piece(s) are defined by a plurality of manipulatable reference coordinates. A workpiece is scanned to obtain scanning information, then portioning of the workpiece is simulated in accordance with the desired shape(s) of the final piece(s) defined by the directly controlled reference coordinates, thereby to determine the one or more indirectly controlled physical characteristics of the one or more final pieces to be portioned from the workpiece. The simulated portioning of the workpiece is performed for multiple combinations of directly controlled shapes as defined by the modified or edited reference coordinates and indirectly controlled physical characteristics until an acceptable set of a directly controlled shape and resulting one or more indirectly controlled physical characteristics is determined.

A slicer apparatus for slicing food items includes a conveying means for conveying a food item to be cut along a conveying path, where a gap is provided extending across the conveying path; at least one cutting blade. A cutting land is arranged in and along the gap, and the cutting land comprises a recess on at least one side such that during cutting the at least one cutting blade at least partly extends into the recess. A first moving means is connected to the at least one cutting blade for moving the at least one cutting blade in distance relative to the cutting land. A second moving means is connected to the at least one cutting blade for moving the at least one cutting blade angularly relative to the conveying path. A third moving means is connected to the cutting land for adjusting at least an angular position of the cutting land around its longitudinal axis. The third moving means is configured to independently adjust the at least angular position of the cutting land around its longitudinal axis.

A slicer apparatus for slicing food items includes a conveying means for conveying a food item to be cut along a conveying path, where a gap is provided extending across the conveying path; at least one cutting blade. A cutting land is arranged in and along the gap, and the cutting land comprises a recess on at least one side such that during cutting the at least one cutting blade at least partly extends into the recess. A first moving means is connected to the at least one cutting blade for moving the at least one cutting blade in distance relative to the cutting land. A second moving means is connected to the at least one cutting blade for moving the at least one cutting blade angularly relative to the conveying path. A third moving means is connected to the cutting land for adjusting at least an angular position of the cutting land around its longitudinal axis. The third moving means is configured to independently adjust the at least angular position of the cutting land around its longitudinal axis.

The apparatus (1) for detecting physical characteristics of food products (10), such as poultry, meat or fish, comprises: a conveyor (2) for transporting the products (10) along an advancement path, at an advancement speed; a floating belt (3), located above the conveyor (2) so as to define an analysis zone (Z) comprised between said floating belt (3) and the conveyor (2); a first and a second detecting device (41, 42), located on opposite sides of the advancement path, each adapted to acquire a multiplicity of partial profiles of the products (10) borne by the conveyor (2) into the analysis zone (Z), in accordance with a scanning frequency, the partial profiles being taken in a scanning plane of the related device; a processing unit (6) connected to the first and second detecting device (41, 42) and in turn comprising: a first shape module (61) configured to determine the conformation of the external surface of a first portion of the product (10), based on the partial profiles acquired by the first detecting device (41), at the scanning frequency and at the advancement speed; and a second shape module (62) configured to determine the conformation of the external surface of a second portion of the product (10), based on the partial profiles acquired by the second detecting device (42), at said scanning frequency and at said advancement speed.

Method and processing line for inspecting a poultry carcass and/or a viscera package taken out from the poultry carcass. The poultry carcass and/or viscera package may be suspended from a poultry carrier and a viscera carrier that move in the processing line. The inspection may be carried out by an inspector selecting a particular poultry carcass and/or viscera package as to be rejected. A selection device can be operated to select the poultry carcass and/or viscera package suspended from the carrier to be rejected.

A method and system are provided for automatically portioning workpieces, such as food products, by simulating portioning the workpieces in accordance with the one or more desired shapes of the final piece(s) as a directly controlled physical characteristic (parameter/specification) as well as one or more resulting indirectly controlled physical characteristics (parameters/specifications). The desired shape(s) of the final piece(s) are defined by a plurality of manipulatable reference coordinates. A workpiece is scanned to obtain scanning information, then portioning of the workpiece is simulated in accordance with the desired shape(s) of the final piece(s) defined by the directly controlled reference coordinates, thereby to determine the one or more indirectly controlled physical characteristics of the one or more final pieces to be portioned from the workpiece. The simulated portioning of the workpiece is performed for multiple combinations of directly controlled shapes as defined by the modified or edited reference coordinates and indirectly controlled physical characteristics until an acceptable set of a directly controlled shape and resulting one or more indirectly controlled physical characteristics is determined.

A system and method for automatically suspending poultry from a carrier of a carrier conveyor. A vision guided robot can pick up poultry from a feedline and suspend the poultry from the carrier. An imaging device can be connected to a decision-making tool to process images from the poultry on the feedline, wherein the decision-making tool is arranged to detect a head of the poultry and to control the vision guided robot to pick up the poultry from the feedline by engaging the poultry at or below the head, and to subsequently suspend the poultry with its head up from the carrier of the carrier conveyor.

Method and processing line for inspecting a poultry carcass and/or a viscera package taken out from the poultry carcass. The poultry carcass and/or viscera package may be suspended from a poultry carrier and a viscera carrier that move in the processing line. The inspection may be carried out by an inspector selecting a particular poultry carcass and/or viscera package as to be rejected. A selection device can be operated to select the poultry carcass and/or viscera package suspended from the carrier to be rejected.

A meat processing device comprises a meat processing unit and an external X-ray meat analyzer provided with a housing formed with an inlet connectable with an outlet of the processing unit. The housing provides complete shielding of personnel from X-rays except towards the inlet and is movable relative to the processing unit to a first position for analysis at which the unit outlet is collocated with the inlet and at which the processing unit completes the shielding of personnel from X-rays towards the inlet.