A method of, and an apparatus (1) for, continuously harvesting surrounding meat from a successive plurality animal legs having articulated first and second animal bones and an intermediate joint. The method continuously conveys the animal legs through a path of conveyance, and determines a location of the intermediate joint. Based on the determined location of the intermediate joint, adjusting a position of the intermediate joint and a cutting implement relative to one another, and performing cutting of tissue at a location commensurate with the location of the intermediate joint. The step of determining the location of the intermediate joint is performed contactless, and without interrupting continuous conveyance of the animal legs.

A method and system for receiving, processing, and stunning poultry in a poultry processing facility includes an receiving system for receiving and unloading live poultry from a transport vehicle, a controlled atmosphere stunning system, a stunned poultry hanging station for receiving and transferring stunned poultry to another facility for further processing, such as slaughtering the stunned poultry. Shuttle conveyors and cage pushers coordinate to unload cages of live poultry from the transport vehicle and begin conveying the cages toward the stunning system. Accumulators, cage de-stackers, cage stackers, cage washers, tilted conveyors, and other features may be included with the system.

A meat quality and yield improvement process comprises hanging the hind leg(s) of a carcass and applying an additional pulling force of from 50 to 500 kgf to the leg and back muscles of the carcass. The additional force stretches the muscle filaments of the leg and back muscles and is maintained until rigor is complete. The hind leg(s) of the carcass may be hung at an angle of 90 to 170 degrees to the vertical.

A slaughtered pig part processing plant including a plurality of pig part processing stations and a conveyor supporting via respective couplings a plurality of spaced apart clamp structures, the conveyor advancing the couplings with a respective clamp structure in a machine direction (T) from a first station for introducing a pig part between jaws of a clamp structure, towards a last station for removing the bone of the processed pig part from the clamp structure, wherein in the said clamp structures being connected to the conveyor so as to allow for a turning movement of the clamp structures about a vertical axis (D), the processing plant including elongated guiding elements engaging the clamp structures or the couplings as they are advanced in the machine direction (T), for bringing about the turning movement about the vertical axis (D).

Meat processing equipment is disclosed that includes a first element having a first face; a second element having a second face. The first and second faces extend parallel to one another and define a common plane between the first and second faces. The first and second elements are relatively movable with respect to one another. Yieldable arresting features are included for yieldably arresting the first and second elements in at least one predetermined position of relative movement, the yieldable arresting features include cooperating first and second permanent magnets, associated with at least one of the first and second elements.

System for placement of a supply of poultry front halves in a processing line equipped with a train of movable carriers for the poultry front halves. Exemplary embodiments may include a train of receptacles provided and movable in a conveyor line, wherein the receptacles are equipped to receive the front halves at an input station of the system, and the conveyor line is equipped to move the receptacles with the poultry front halves received therein from the input station towards and along the processing line with the carriers. The receptacles can be equipped to transfer the poultry front halves onto the carriers in the processing line and may be equipped with a breast support plate, a bottom plate and upstanding inserts.

The invention relates to a transporting station (10), designed and configured for transporting fish transverse to their longitudinal extent in a transport direction T, comprising a conveying device (11) for transporting individual, separated fish in a lying position along a transport path T.sub.L from an entry region E of the conveying device (11) to an exit region A of the conveying device (11), wherein the conveying device (11) comprises a rotationally driven transport element (12) which is characterised in that the conveying device (11) is assigned a change-over device (13) which is designed and configured and is in operative connection with the conveying device (11), in such a manner that the fish can be transferred automatically from the lying position on the transport path T.sub.L of the conveying device (11) into a suspended position on a transport path T.sub.H of the change-over device (13). The invention is also concerned with a fish processing machine (47) having such a transporting station (10), and with a corresponding method.

Method and apparatus (1, 11) for longitudinally cutting poultry legs along a contour defined by an inwardly extending bone structure. The method comprises the steps of, and the apparatus (1, 11) having means (25) for, suspending at least one poultry leg at its ankle joint, and conveying the thus suspended poultry leg along a predefined path of conveyance (21). At least one cutting unit (1) with a directionable knife (73) is provided in the predefined path of conveyance (21). The at least one poultry leg is positioning such that it is lined-up for a longitudinal cutting engagement by the directionable knife (73), and the directionable knife (73) is brought into cutting engagement with the thus positioned poultry leg. During cutting engagement, position and cutting direction of the directionable knife are continuously adjusted to follow the contour defined by the bone structure of the poultry leg, while the positioned poultry leg is conveyed past the directionable knife (73).

Provided, is a fully integrated system to monitor and control carcass weight to minimize weight loss in carcasses during the chilling cycle. This will be accomplished by incorporating a load cell and a radio frequency identification device on the trolley operating on the elevated track system extending through the packing plant, including the carcass chilling rooms. This method and apparatus will provide the needed location and weight data to control a water spray system to maintain a constant carcass weight during the entire chilling cycle.

An apparatus and method for applying an antimicrobial agent to whole or split animal carcasses include a closed or essentially closed chamber for limiting the escape of antimicrobial agent to the environment during antimicrobial treatment of the carcass. In one embodiment, a series of carcass cabinet panels moves in line with the passing animal carcass and forms an enclosure around the carcass by means of panels closing ahead of and behind the carcass. In another embodiment, the direction and spray pattern of positively charged aerosolized antimicrobial particles in a carcass cabinet is controlled by attracting the particles to preselected negatively charged regions within the carcass cabinet.