The present invention relates to a gripping device for picking up, conveying, and delivering a product, the gripping device including: a base structure which may be attached to a handling device by means of a coupling element, preferably so in a non-destructively detachable manner; at least two gripper members having each at least one bottom surface and at least one top surface, said top surface of the gripper members facing towards the coupling element and said bottom surfaces of the gripper members facing away from the coupling element; at least one drive means for reversibly moving the gripper members between a first position, in which the gripper members may be positioned on opposite sides of the product to be picked up, and a second position, in which the gripper members seize the product to be picked up; and an abutment plate which is at least approximately supported by the top surfaces of the gripper members.

The present invention relates to a system for picking up, conveying, and delivering a foodstuff product to a processing machine which preferably has an upright magazine tube, said system including: a handling device, a gripping device releasably attachable to the handling device, a transporting apparatus, and a control unit; wherein the transporting apparatus has a transporting portion on which the foodstuff product that is to be picked up by the gripping device may be positioned in a pick-up position allowing the foodstuff product to be picked up by the gripping device, and the control unit is connected at least to the handling device of the gripping device and to the transporting apparatus; wherein the control unit is configured for detecting when the foodstuff product to be picked up has reached the pick-up position.

The present invention relates to a new device that holds a portion of ham securely, before deboning, and provides a guide for the knife to enable an inexperienced person to carve thin slices by hand. The invention can also be used for carving other meat. products into slices, for example cecina (cured dried meat).

In an embodiment, an apparatus for processing meat product and a method of using same is provided. A first station includes a flattener which is configured to flatten a meat product, and a scanner which is configured to scan features of the meat product after flattening. A second station is configured to dock front and rear ends of the meat product in accordance with information received from the scan of the features.

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.

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.

Antler animal chew and methods of manufacturing and packaging the same are herein disclosed. The animal chew generally includes an antler section having a marrow core and a lipid composition infused within the marrow core.

A food product-carrying unit (10) for transferring food product from an in-feed section to an out-feed section of a small-scale, variable retention time (VRT) food storage system comprises a pair of opposing side portions (11, 12) joined by a pair of opposing end portions (13, 14) to form an open rectangular frame section (15). The side portions (11, 12) have formations (16, 17; 18, 19), respectively, thereon, which formations (16, 17; 18, 19) are adapted to reversibly link the food product-carrying unit (10) to corresponding formations on neighbouring food product-carrying units in the food storage system. A wheel (20, 21) is mounted at ends (22, 23), respectively, of end portion (13). Corresponding wheels (24) (only one wheel shown) are mounted at ends (25, 26), respectively, of end portion (14). The and each wheel (20, 21, 24) has an axle with a plastics wear part, and the wheels (20, 21, 24) are aligned such that, in use, the food product-carrying unit (10) is movable forwards and backwards on the wheels (20, 21, 24) in a straight line through the food storage system. The food product-carrying unit (10) also has a wear pad (27, 28; and 29) mounted on the and each end portion (13, 14), respectively, to the outside (31) of the frame section (15).

A tray conveyor comprising ice-coated magnetic trays driven by a linear-motor stator along a rail track. The ice coating is applied to the trays to provide a product-bearing ice surface. After the product is processed and transferred off the tray, the top layer of the contaminated ice coating is removed and the tray with the remaining ice coating reused.

The present invention refers to an embodiment arrangement applied to a blowing device to be used in interleaver machines for cold cuts. This blowing device is configured to enable the plastic used in interleaving, responsible for separating the cold cuts, to be very thin, not folding or being mispositioned, since the device generates negative pressure between the cold cut slice and the plastic.