DEVICE AND METHOD FOR PREPARING THE EVISCERATION OF BEHEADED SLAUGHTERED POULTRY

Abstract

The present invention relates to a pre-evisceration device and a method for preparing the evisceration of beheaded slaughtered poultry, wherein the viscera pack is to be eviscerated from the vent end. A neck slitting knife makes a neck slit along the neck at the breast side of the poultry. A pre-evisceration release tool is adapted to be inserted via the neck slit between the esophagus and trachea and the naturally surrounding tissue, and to be moved along the neck to loosen said at least part of the trachea and esophagus adhering to said neck. The pre-evisceration tool releases, prior to evisceration, part of the esophagus and trachea at the neck side of the crop between a position adjacent the crop, at the neck side thereof, and the neck opening.

Claims

1.-14. (canceled)

15. A pre-evisceration device for preparing the evisceration of beheaded slaughtered poultry having a carcass with a body cavity having a breast side and a back side, as well as a vent end where the vent is or was located, and at least part of the neck with a neck opening at a neck end thereof, the slaughtered poultry having a viscera pack including heart, lungs, liver, stomach, intestines, trachea and esophagus including crop, including a part of the esophagus and trachea at the neck side of the crop, wherein the viscera pack is to be eviscerated from the vent end, the pre-evisceration device comprising: a neck slitting knife for making a neck slit along the neck at the breast side of the poultry; and a pre-evisceration release tool for releasing, prior to evisceration, said part of the esophagus and trachea at the neck side of the crop between a position adjacent the crop, at the neck side thereof, and the neck opening, wherein the pre-evisceration release tool is adapted to be inserted via the neck slit between the esophagus and trachea and the naturally surrounding tissue, and to be moved along the neck to loosen said at least part of the trachea and esophagus adhering to said neck.

16. The pre-evisceration device according to claim 15, wherein the pre-evisceration release tool is a scraper.

17. The pre-evisceration device according to claim 15, wherein the pre-evisceration release tool is adapted to be moved from a position adjacent the crop, at the neck side thereof, along the neck to the neck opening.

18. The pre-evisceration device according to claim 15, wherein the neck slitting knife is adapted to make a slit from the neck opening in the direction of the neck towards a position on the breast essentially above the crop.

19. The pre-evisceration device according to claim 15, further comprising a neck positioning tool to position the neck at least prior to insertion of the pre-evisceration release tool, possibly prior to making the neck slit.

20. The pre-evisceration device according to claim 15, wherein the slaughtered poultry is suspended by its legs in a shackle with the neck hanging downwards.

21. The pre-evisceration device according to claim 15, wherein the slaughtered poultry further comprises wings and shoulders, and wherein the pre-evisceration device further comprises shoulder lifters to lift the shoulders prior to inserting the pre-evisceration release tool.

22. The pre-evisceration device according to claim 15, wherein multiple pre-evisceration release tools are integrated in a carousel machine around its circumference.

23. An evisceration device comprising: an evisceration tool for eviscerating the viscera pack from the vent end; and the pre-evisceration device according to claim 15.

24. A pre-evisceration release tool for preparing the evisceration of beheaded slaughtered poultry having a carcass with a body cavity having a breast side and a back side, as well as a vent end where the vent is or was located, and at least part of the neck with a neck opening at a neck end thereof, the slaughtered poultry having a viscera pack including heart, lungs, liver, stomach, intestines, trachea and esophagus including crop, including a part of the esophagus and trachea at the neck side of the crop, wherein the viscera pack is to be eviscerated from the vent end, and wherein the slaughtered poultry is conveyed in a shackle conveyor, wherein the pre-evisceration release tool is suitable for releasing, prior to evisceration, said part of the esophagus and trachea at the neck side of the crop between a position adjacent the crop, at the neck side thereof, and the neck opening, wherein the pre-evisceration release tool is adapted to be inserted via a neck slit between the esophagus and trachea and the naturally surrounding tissue, and wherein a drive is provided to move said pre-evisceration release tool along the neck to loosen said at least part of the trachea and esophagus adhering to said neck.

25. A method for preparing the evisceration of beheaded slaughtered poultry, comprising the step of using the pre-evisceration device according to claim 15.

26. A method for preparing the evisceration of beheaded slaughtered poultry having a carcass with a body cavity having a breast side and a back side, as well as a vent end where the vent is or was located, and at least part of the neck with a neck opening at a neck end thereof, the slaughtered poultry having a viscera pack including heart, lungs, liver, stomach, intestines, trachea and esophagus including crop, including a part of the esophagus and trachea at the neck side of the crop, the method comprising the steps of: making a neck slit along the neck at the breast side of the poultry; inserting a pre-evisceration release tool via the neck slit between the esophagus and trachea and the naturally surrounding tissue; and moving the pre-evisceration release tool along the neck, thereby loosening said at least part of the trachea and esophagus adhering to said neck between a position adjacent the crop, at the neck side thereof, and the neck opening.

27. The method according to claim 25, followed by inserting an eviscerating member into the vent end to eviscerate the viscera pack including the esophagus with the crop and the trachea.

28. The method according to claim 26, followed by inserting an eviscerating member into the vent end to eviscerate the viscera pack including the esophagus with the crop and the trachea.

29. The method according to claim 25, followed by removing the neck skin and/or harvesting neck meat.

30. The method according to claim 26, followed by removing the neck skin and/or harvesting neck meat.

Description

[0038] The invention will now be explained with reference to the drawings, in which in a non-limiting manner exemplary embodiments of the invention are illustrated. In the drawings:

[0039] FIG. 1 shows perspective view an example of a pre-evisceration release tool according to the invention,

[0040] FIG. 2 illustrates in cross-section the carcass of the chicken to be eviscerated,

[0041] FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a pre-evisceration device according to the invention.

[0042] In these examples the poultry is a chicken, but the invention is applicable to other poultry, e.g. duck, as well.

[0043] The FIG. 1 shows in perspective view a beheaded slaughtered and defeathered chicken 1 which is retained or suspended by its legs in a poultry shackle 2 as is known in the art.

[0044] In order to facilitate the understanding of the present invention the FIG. 2 shows a cross-section of a slaughtered chicken 1 in neck down orientation. The FIG. 2 shows the carcass and the location within the body cavity thereof of the organs as discussed herein. The FIG. 2 has been obtained by deep-freezing a slaughtered chicken whilst suspended from its legs and cutting the frozen chicken in half.

[0045] In FIG. 2 the following parts of the chicken carcass 1 are provided with reference numerals:

[0046] leg 3

[0047] breast side 4 of the body cavity

[0048] breast fillet meat 5

[0049] vertebra 6,

[0050] back side 7 of body cavity

[0051] vent end 8 of body cavity

[0052] vent or cloaca 9

[0053] neck end 10 of body cavity

[0054] neck 11

[0055] neck opening 21

[0056] intestines 12

[0057] gizzard 14

[0058] liver 15

[0059] heart 16

[0060] belly fat 17

[0061] esophagus 18, with part 18 at neck side of the crop

[0062] crop 19

[0063] trachea 20, with part 20 at neck side of the crop.

[0064] The gizzard 14 is depicted here with food remnants, e.g. of seeds, still present in the gizzard. The crop 19 is depicted slightly expanded.

[0065] The entirety of the organs is identified as viscera pack with reference numeral 19. Most of the viscera pack 19 is located in the body cavity of the carcass 1. The carcass has a breast 5 at the left-hand side of the FIGS. 1 and 2. The body cavity has a breast side 4 and a back side 7, in FIGS. 1 and 2 corresponding to the left-hand side and the right-hand side of the cavity.

[0066] As can be seen the chicken is retained in a neck down orientation, so that the vent end 8where the vent 9 is or was locatedis at the top of the body cavity and the neck end 10 at the lower end of the body cavity.

[0067] The FIG. 2 shows the carcass 1 with the vent end side 8 open. As is common in the art the body cavity will be opened at the vent end, e.g. by an upstream vent opening device prior to the start of the evisceration process. This vent opening 22 is partly visible in FIG. 1.

[0068] In FIG. 3 an eviscerating device according to the present invention is highly schematically represented. The device comprises sequentially: [0069] a neck slitting knife K for making a neck slit along the neck at the breast side of the poultry; [0070] a pre-evisceration release tool R for releasing said part of the esophagus 18 and trachea 20 at the neck side of the crop 19 between a position adjacent the crop, at the neck side thereof, and the neck opening 21, [0071] an eviscerating device E comprising an evisceration tool for eviscerating the viscera pack from the vent end 8, [0072] an optional neck skin remover and/or neck meat harvester N.

[0073] In FIG. 1 a possible embodiment of a pre-evisceration release tool 40 for releasing said part of the esophagus and trachea at the neck side of the crop between a position adjacent the crop, at the neck side thereof, and the neck opening 21 is shown. A neck slit 25 is visible, extending at the breast side of the poultry between a position essentially above the crop and the neck opening 21.

[0074] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a breast fixation device 30 is provided, resting against the breast fillets 5, to define the position of the beheaded slaughtered poultry. The position is further defined by shoulder lifters 35, lifting shoulders 24 of wings 23 prior to inserting the pre-evisceration release tool, and preferably also prior to making the neck slit. By lifting the shoulders, the accessibility of the crop and part of the trachea and esophagus at the neck side of the crop is increased.

[0075] The pre-evisceration release tool 40 as visible in FIG. 1 comprises two parallel scraping members 41a, 41b. In the shown embodiment, the scraping members are embodied as rod-shaped elements having a short right-angled end part with a thickened and rounded end. Alternative configurations are also conceivable, e.g. of a one-part construction.

[0076] In FIG. 1 it is indicated with arrow A how the scraping members 41a, 41b are being inserted via the neck slit 25 between said part of the esophagus 18 and said part of the trachea 20 and the naturally surrounding tissue in the neck 11. In the shown embodiment, the scraping members 41a, 41b are inserted at a position adjacent the neck side of the crop.

[0077] With arrow B in FIG. 1 it is indicated how the scraping members 41a, 41b are movable along the neck 11 from the position adjacent the neck side of the crop towards the neck opening 21 to loosen said at least part of the trachea 20 and esophagus 18 adhering to said neck 11.

[0078] After loosening these parts of trachea 20 and esophagus 18, the viscera pack including heart 16, lungs, liver, stomach, intestines 12, trachea 20 and esophagus 18 including crop 19, including the parts of the esophagus 18 and trachea 20 at the neck side of the crop may be integrally eviscerated from the vent end 8 through the vent opening 22 by an eviscerating tool.