A food processing apparatus for processing food products, in particular meat products, includes a press for pressing the food products with specific pressing parameters and a control unit which is connected on its output side to the press and sets the pressing parameters. A first analyzing device for analyzing the food products before pressing and for generating corresponding first analysis parameters of the food products is provided. The first analysis parameters represent product properties of the analyzed food product. The control unit is connected to the first analyzing device and sets the pressing parameters depending on the first analysis parameters.

A process that includes receiving, by a first trimmer via a conveyor system, a foodstuff and automatically trimming, by the first trimmer and based on first trimming instructions, the foodstuff that results in first trimmings and a trimmed foodstuff. An injector receives the trimmed foodstuff and injects, based on injection instructions, a liquid solution into the trimmed foodstuff to generate an injected foodstuff. A cooker receives the injected foodstuff and cooks, based on cooking instructions, the injected foodstuff that results in a cooked foodstuff. A chiller receives the cooked foodstuff and chills the cooked foodstuff that results in a chilled foodstuff. A second trimmer receives the chilled foodstuff and automatically trims, based on second trimming instructions, the foodstuff that results in second trimmings and a trimmed chilled foodstuff. The second trimmer advances, via the conveyor system, the trimmed chilled foodstuff out of the second trimmer.

A method of cutting a meat portion to make a plurality of meat slices according to exemplary aspects includes cutting the meat portion in a planar spiral pattern, thereby creating an elongated strip, wherein the planar spiral pattern comprises a curve on a two-dimensional plane coincident with a substantially planar surface of the meat portion.

Method for the manufacturing of an elongated, e.g. microfibril structure for the fabrication of cultivated meat, wherein (a) a paste is extruded through an extrusion plate (24) and an adjacent attachment plate (22) with aligned nozzle openings (42, 44) into a space (58) downstream of the second nozzle plate (22), (b) paste located in said space (58) or in the attachment plate (22) is hardened, (c) said paste is continued to be extruded through said extrusion plate (24) while the distance between the attachment plate (22) and the extrusion plate (22) is increased under formation of said elongated, e.g. microfibril structure between said plates (22,24).

An assembly for processing meat travelling along a path of travel and including a marking roller disposed transverse to the path of travel and including at least one but preferably a plurality of marking sections rotatable with the marking roller. Each of the marking sections includes at least one marking member rotatable therewith and extending outwardly therefrom into penetrating relation to meat passing along the path of travel. Penetration of each marking member into the meat produces a mark such as, but not limited to an alpha-numeric character corresponding in configuration to that of the penetrating marking member. A plurality of marking members may be mounted on one or more of the marking sections such that the meat will have a multi-character mark formed thereon as the marking members sequentially penetrate the meat during rotation of the marking roller and passage of the meat along the path of travel.

A trim optimization system may include a first cutting assembly configured to generate workpiece trim and trimmed workpieces, a sensor assembly configured to generate at least one of trimmed workpiece and trim sensor data, and a sorting assembly configured to divert trim from the first cutting assembly to a trim use assembly. The trim optimization system may include memory storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause a computing device of the workpiece processing optimization system to: process input data including at least one of trimmed workpiece sensor data, trim sensor data, trim demand for the trim use assembly, workpiece supply data, and workpiece processing requirements; and, output a trim optimization plan including at least one of: a trim designation location in the trim use assembly for an amount of trim; and instructions for adjusting settings to change an amount of workpiece trim generated by the first cutting assembly.

A food processing system (2) for cutting a food product into portions includes a product engaging component (19, 21, 102) configured to engage an upper surface of a food product lying on a support surface (12, 106) in the system, and an electronic position sensor configured to generate a position signal dependent on the height of the product engaging component above the support surface. An electronic controller (5) is configured to receive the position signal and to control the engagement height of an end gripper (30) using an end gripper positioning assembly (16) with reference to the position signal.

A method and system is provided for generating batches of food pieces, and includes: conveying incoming food objects through at least one cutting device, where the at least one cutting device is configured to cut the incoming food objects into plurality of food pieces according to at least one first cutting rule, conveying the resulting plurality of cut food pieces to at least one batching system where at least one batch is generated fulfilling at least one first criterion including at least one first weight target. The at least one first cutting rule is selected in accordance to the at least one first weight target such that the resulting weight distribution of the plurality of food pieces entering the batching system fulfils at least one first pre-defined weight target distribution adapted to the at least one first weight target.