A separation and singulation system for presenting shrimps or other product individually to a processor. The separation and singulation system includes a divider pan that separates a layer of shrimp into several lanes, a shaker pan that receives the lanes of shrimp and agitates them to separate clumps of shrimp and a flume for providing further singulation and acceleration of the shrimp. The singulated, separated shrimps are then sent to a processor.

A crab eviscerating disc is used in a crab processing machine and a method for processing a crab to a market condition. The disc is used to mill a groove along the underside of a crab body without completely cutting the crab body. Each tooth on that disc has a cut clearance angle of zero degree, and a hook angle of zero degree. Because of these teeth, the depth of the groove is limited by a bony plate and a bony ridge in the crab body. The visceral cavities of the crab body are cleaned by high pressure water sprays oriented in the groove while the crab body is still attached.

A freshness/degree of maturation evaluating device for evaluating freshness and/or degree of maturation of food animal, freshness/degree of maturation evaluating device provided with: temperature parameter calculation unit that calculates temperature parameter regarding storage time and temperature in arbitrary area inside food animal, parameter based on temperature in arbitrary area inside food animal, determined by storage time and unsteady heat conduction equation; rate constant parameter calculation unit that calculates rate constant parameter regarding sequential decomposition reactions of various ATP-associated compounds contained infood animal, parameter being set based on rate constants in food animal determined by using relation based on storage time of food animal and measured values of ATP-associated compound concentrations; ATP-associated compound concentration calculation unit that calculates ATP-associated compound concentrations by sequential decomposition reaction calculation model using temperature parameter and rate constant parameter; and freshness/degree of maturation evaluation unit that computes K value and/or FI value from ATP-associated compound concentrations.

A separation and singulation system for presenting shrimps or other product individually to a processor. The separation and singulation system includes a divider pan that separates a layer of shrimp into several lanes, a shaker pan that receives the lanes of shrimp and agitates them to separate clumps of shrimp and a flume for providing further singulation and acceleration of the shrimp. The singulated, separated shrimps are then sent to a processor.

A shrimp processing system conveys raw peeled shrimps to an imaging chamber in which shrimp bits and shrimps with residual shell are detected and diverted from the stream of acceptable shrimps allowed to pass on to downstream processing. An ultraviolet (UV) light source in the imaging chamber is constantly on. A visual inspection system takes images of the passing stream of shrimp when a white-light source is turned on to illuminate an exposure region to detect bits, clumps of shrimps, and acceptable individual shrimps. The visual inspection system takes images of the passing stream when the white-light source is turned off and the exposure region is subjected only to ultraviolet radiation. The visual inspection system detects shrimps with residual shell in the V images. Shrimp bits and shrimps with residual shell are diverted from the stream of shrimps by air jet nozzles to corresponding reject destinations.

A crab eviscerating disc is used in a crab processing machine and a method for processing a crab to a market condition. The disc is used to mill a groove along the underside of a crab body without completely cutting the crab body. Each tooth on that disc has a cut clearance angle of zero degree, and a hook angle of zero degree. Because of these teeth, the depth of the groove is limited by a bony plate and a bony ridge in the crab body. The visceral cavities of the crab body are cleaned by high pressure water sprays oriented in the groove while the crab body is still attached.

A crab butchering machine removes the carapace, mandibles and tail from a crab by timing actuation of tools depending upon the measured dimensions of the carapace. A measuring tool determines the location of the front and rear of the carapace relative to the saddle, securing and advancing the crab through the machine. The positions of the ends of the tools that operate on the crab are known. After measuring, the crab is advanced into a calculated position relative to a first tool, whereby an arm moves upwards, separating the carapace from the crab. The crab is next advanced past a second tool that lifts the carapace away from the crab carcass, allowing a third tool to move upwards, separating the carapace and tail from the carcass when the saddle is in a second calculated position. The remaining leg clusters are separated and released from the saddle for further processing.

A separation and singulation system for presenting shrimps or other product individually to a processor. The separation and singulation system includes a divider pan that separates a layer of shrimp into several lanes, a shaker pan that receives the lanes of shrimp and agitates them to separate clumps of shrimp and a flume for providing further singulation and acceleration of the shrimp. The singulated, separated shrimps are then sent to a processor.

A crab processor is adapted to be supported by a bucket defining a rim and an inner diameter, the crab processor comprising a main portion, a first support portion, and a second support portion. The first and second portions are attached to the main portion such that the first and second support portions define first and second portions of the main portion and a distance defined by the second portion of the main portion is less than the inner diameter of the bucket. The first and second support portions engage the rim of the bucket to support the crab processor in a desired orientation relative to the bucket.

A separation and singulation system for presenting shrimps or other product individually to a processor. The separation and singulation system includes a divider pan that separates a layer of shrimp into several lanes, a shaker pan that receives the lanes of shrimp and agitates them to separate clumps of shrimp and a flume for providing further singulation and acceleration of the shrimp. The singulated, separated shrimps are then sent to a processor.