Patent ID: 6277019
Filing Date: 2001-08-21
Classification: A22B,A22C,G01N

Abstract:
A method for removing a portion of fat from meat cuts, comprising,placing a meat cut on a longitudinal conveyor, pressing sensor probes into the meat cut to measure the thickness of fat and the location of lean in the meat cut, and then withdrawing the sensor probes from the meat,taking an electronic signal from the sensor probes and determining the depth from an outer lower surface of the meat cut through a layer of fat in the meat cut to a layer of lean in the meat cut,taking data from the preceding step and adjusting the height of a blade to a predetermined height with respect to the meat cut to remove a portion of fat from the meat cut to expose a given area of lean, andcutting the portion of fat from the meat cut,the data is acquired by first optic fibers carrying light internally to the probes being pressed into the meat cut to emit light on an internal part of the meat cut into which the probe is being pressed, and second fiber optics in the probe to receive light from the first fiber optics that are reflected from the meat cut.