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 meat inspection and sorting line comprising supply means, a radiation inspection facility, a cutting facility and a reject facility. Meat parts are brought together and fed into the radiation inspection facility by means of a conveyor in a layer of meat parts. An undesired object is detected by the radiation inspection facility by means of e.g. an X-ray technique and a part of the layer of meat parts containing the undesired object is identified and separated from the layer of meat parts by the cutting facility. The identified and separated part of the layer of meat parts containing the undesired object is rejected by the reject facility from the layer of meat parts.

A method of creating batches for food items conveyed by a conveyor means, comprises measuring an image profile for a food item, processing the measured image profile for the food item, cutting the food item into a plurality of portions based on the processed measured image profile, and distinguishing the portions within the partial batch from the remaining portions. The number of portions from one or more of subsequent food items needed to complete the partial batch is such that it fulfils the pre-defined batch-criteria taken from the same or similar area of the food items from where the partial batch originates.

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.

This disclosure relates to apparatuses and methods for processing and grading food articles. For example, provided herein is a system for grading a portioned food article, in which the system includes: a first conveyor; a first receiving conveyor and a second receiving conveyor, defining a space therebetween; at least one spray-removal robot; and a third receiving conveyor. The spray-removal robot may include at least one valve with a nozzle, in which the valve ejects fluid through the nozzle to impact a food article being moved on the first conveyor toward the third receiving conveyor, such that at least one portion of the food article is moved by the impact through the space between the first receiving conveyor and the second receiving conveyor, and such that at least one portion of the food article is moved by the first receiving conveyor and the second receiving conveyor to the third receiving conveyor.

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.

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.

A method and a system provide a feedback data indicating quality of a food processing performed by an operator. The method and system involve acquiring at least one image data of a food product from an operator; and processing the acquired image data. The processing includes detecting whether undesired objects are present in the food product, obtaining, in case undesired objects are detected, position data of the undesired objects within the food product, and utilizing the position data in issuing a feedback indicator indicating a position where the detected undesired objects are present within the food product processed by the operator.

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 for processing food products to be sliced or to be divided comprises a processing line that comprises a plurality of work stations and a single-track or multi-track transport device for transporting the products along a transport path from work station to work station, wherein at least one of the work stations has a means for determining at least one parameter, and wherein the means is connected to an evaluation and control device that is configured to generate a control signal in dependence on the at least one parameter.