This disclosure concerns methods for processing and grading food articles including x-raying the food articles a first time and taking a 3D image of the food articles.

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).

A system for treating whole meat material and grinding whole meat material into ground meat product includes a microbial treatment station including a hopper into which whole meat material is deposited, a conveyor which conveys the whole meat material, and a microbial intervention apparatus configured to treat the whole meat material to substantially reduce an amount of microbes on an exterior surface of a whole meat material; a grinding station including a grinder downstream of the conveyor and operatively connected to the microbial treatment station, the grinder having a orifice plate through which the whole meat material passes and is ground into ground meat product and a cavity downstream of the orifice plate which receives the ground meat product and a microbial treatment apparatus in communication with the cavity and configured to treat the ground meat product to deter growth of microbes on the ground meat product.

A cutting tool for cutting netting used for encasing meat products comprises a blade and a guard. A control circuit is electrically connected to the blade, and configured to maintain the temperature of the blade at a cutting temperature in the range of 300° C. to 500° C. The guard defines an interior cavity surrounding the blade and further comprises a slot exposing a portion of the blade. The guarding is further shaped to define a funnel at a distal end of the cutting tool leading to the slot such that in use the funnel guides a netting to be cut towards the blade. The cutting tool may be provided as a hand tool or in a bench mounted form.

An apparatus and method for separating the leaner portions of meat trimmings and sparse lean from the fattier portions using an automated system that segregates product based on fat content. One implementation of the method and apparatus includes a piston pump that pushes product through a reduction chamber and on through a feed line and nozzle inlet. The nozzle inlet injects a portion of product into a plurality of product chambers positioned at an outer perimeter of a rotating wheel such that as the wheel rotates, the product chambers revolve about a central axis of the wheel. When the product chamber is adjacent the nozzle, product is injected into the chambers and as the wheel continues to rotate. Another implementation is a method and apparatus including a reduction station; a trim sorter station; a storage bin station; and a plurality of conveyor systems including a dispersion conveyor system extending between the reduction station and the trim sorter station and a sorter conveyor system extending between the trim sorter station and the storage bin station.

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 shrinkable food preparation product used for cooking layered or rolled meat products such as cooked ham has improved characteristic for squeezing the meat.

Disclosed is a slicing and collecting device for processing frozen meat sheets, including a frame, and a slicing mechanism is arranged above the frame; a sliding plate is arranged on one side of the slicing mechanism, and a bagging mechanism is arranged on one side of the sliding plate far away from the slicing mechanism; a blocking structure is arranged between the sliding plate and the bagging mechanism, a loading mechanism is arranged on the other side of the slicing mechanism, a storage mechanism is arranged on one side of the loading mechanism far away from the slicing mechanism, and a bottom of the loading mechanism is communicated with the storage mechanism.

The present disclosure relates to a system and method for processing a carcass leg part comprising a holding section at or near a foot portion. The system comprises a loading station comprising a first conveying device having a supporting surface for supporting and transporting the carcass part towards a loading zone and comprising a positioning device having a first positioning element arranged to be moved along with the carcass part while supported on the supporting surface, configured for positioning the holding section with respect to the supporting surface. The system further comprises a second conveying device comprising a plurality of carriers which are movable through the loading zone. The system is configured such that in the loading zone a carcass part is transferred from the supporting surface to a carrier at the holding section of the carcass part, in an automated manner in use.

The present invention relates to a device for automatically positioning and/or handling a carcass and/or carcass part during the slaughter of animals on an industrial scale and to a device for cutting a carcass and/or carcass part during the slaughter of animals on an industrial scale. The invention also relates to a method for automatically positioning and/or handling a carcass and/or carcass part of a slaughtered animal during the slaughter of animals on an industrial scale as well as a method for automatically cutting a carcass and/or carcass part of a slaughtered animal during the slaughter of animals on an industrial scale.