A process for manufacturing dry sausage. The process includes preparing a dry sausage meat mixture, stuffing the mixture into a casing or mould, fermenting the mixture, heat treating the mixture, cooling the mixture to a temperature sufficiently low to permit slicing, slicing the sausage, placing the sausage onto a conveyor, and passing the conveyor and sausage through a chamber. The process also includes introducing a supply of conditioned air into the chamber, the air having a relative humidity below about 60% and a temperature in the range of at least about 40 F. to 130 F., and introducing a supply of microwaves into the chamber. The air supply and microwaves are selected to reduce the moisture content of the meat to a predetermined moisture to protein ratio.

A trimming device for trimming a carcass part having a skin and/or fat side, including a blade having a cutting edge facing a front face of the carcass part, and a blade holder for holding the blade. The blade holder has a tiltable blade holder segment and a non-tiltable blade holder segment rotatably coupled to the non-tiltable blade holder segment around an axis of rotation parallel to a conveying direction along which the carcass part is transported to the trimming device, and an actuator configured to tilt the tiltable blade holder segment relative to the non-tiltable blade holder segment based on information concerning a profile of the skin and/or fat side. A geometry of the cutting edge changes when the tiltable blade holder segment is tilted relative to the non-tiltable blade holder segment by means of the actuator to trim the skin and/or fat side into a predetermined shape.

A food processing apparatus for processing food products, in particular meat products, includes a press for pressing the food products with specific pressing parameters and a control unit which is connected on its output side to the press and sets the pressing parameters. A first analyzing device for analyzing the food products before pressing and for generating corresponding first analysis parameters of the food products is provided. The first analysis parameters represent product properties of the analyzed food product. The control unit is connected to the first analyzing device and sets the pressing parameters depending on the first analysis parameters.

A method for batching articles constituted by solid food products having a first property and a first quantity. The first property may be lean degree and the first quantity may be weight. The method provides a conveyor system and a batcher having a plurality of batcher heads such that articles within the batcher heads may be selected and batched according to a first target range of the first property and a first target interval of the first quantity. The method may ensure that different grades of the first property may not contaminate each other.

A method of measuring a poultry slaughter product is disclosed. The method uses a measuring device positioned stationary along a transport trajectory defined by a transport device which has a plurality of successive carriers for holding the slaughter product. The transport device transports the slaughter product held by a carrier of the plurality of successive carriers in a transport direction along the transport trajectory and past the measuring device. The method includes using a contactless distance meter of the measuring device to measure distances between the distance meter and the slaughter product at at least three different locations on the slaughter product. A parameter of the slaughter product is then determined from the measured distances.

A trimming device for trimming a carcass part having a skin and/or fat side, including a blade having a cutting edge facing a front face of the carcass part, and a blade holder for holding the blade. The blade holder has a tiltable blade holder segment and a non-tiltable blade holder segment rotatably coupled to the non-tiltable blade holder segment around an axis of rotation parallel to a conveying direction along which the carcass part is transported to the trimming device, and an actuator configured to tilt the tiltable blade holder segment relative to the non-tiltable blade holder segment based on information concerning a profile of the skin and/or fat side. A geometry of the cutting edge changes when the tiltable blade holder segment is tilted relative to the non-tiltable blade holder segment by the actuator to trim the skin and/or fat side into a predetermined shape.

A trim optimization system may include a first cutting assembly configured to generate workpiece trim and trimmed workpieces, a sensor assembly configured to generate at least one of trimmed workpiece and trim sensor data, and a sorting assembly configured to divert trim from the first cutting assembly to a trim use assembly. The trim optimization system may include memory storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause a computing device of the workpiece processing optimization system to: process input data including at least one of trimmed workpiece sensor data, trim sensor data, trim demand for the trim use assembly, workpiece supply data, and workpiece processing requirements; and, output a trim optimization plan including at least one of: a trim designation location in the trim use assembly for an amount of trim; and instructions for adjusting settings to change an amount of workpiece trim generated by the first cutting assembly.

A food processing device comprising a conveyor, a processor configured for receiving image data representing images of the food items, and a plurality of workstations arranged along the conveyor system. The avoid time consuming processing of food items, the processor is configured to provide a processing indicator which indicates whether the food items need further processing or not and the device comprises an identification structure configured to identify food items which are selected for further processing such that they are distinguished from food items not being selected for further processing based on the processing indicator.

A system includes an engagement tool (100) having a suction device (224), a movement system (166) configured to move the engagement tool (100), an imaging system (316) configured to capture an image of a surface of a meat product (202), and a computing device. The computing device is configured to (i) determine, from the image of the surface of the meat product (202), a target region (2061) on the surface of the meat product (202) based on an estimated fat content in the meat product (202) at the target region (2061), (ii) cause the movement system to move the engagement tool (100) with respect to the meat product (202) such that the suction device (224) engages the target region (2061), and (iii) initiate a vacuum within the suction device (224) such that the engagement tool (100) exerts a force on the target region of the surface of the meat product (202) at the suction device (224).