Patent Publication Number: US-2022217985-A1

Title: Production of precooked formed meat patties

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a divisional application of, and claims priority benefit to, U.S. patent Application No. 16,937,911, entitled “PRODUCTION OF PRECOOKED FORMED MEAT PATTIES,” filed on Jul. 24, 2020 and issues as U.S. Pat. No. 11,284,628 on Mar. 29, 2022, which is a divisional application of, and claims priority benefit to, U.S. application Ser. No. 16/081,591 entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING FORMED MEAT PATTIES” and filed on Aug. 31, 2018, which claims priority benefit to, and is a national stage application of, PCT Application No. PCT/US16/31312 entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING FORMED MEAT PATTIES” and filed on May 6, 2016, which claims priority benefit to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/302,013 entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PRODUCING A PRECOOKED SLICED MEAT PRODUCT” and filed on Mar. 1, 2016, the entirety of each is hereby incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates generally to the field of precooked food products, and more specifically, to systems and methods for producing precooked formed meat patties. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Precooked meat products are very popular in today&#39;s fast-paced world. For example, it is convenient to be able to quickly prepare a meal using meat patties (e.g., frozen meat patties) that have already been cooked previously and packaged. Various techniques are known for producing and packaging meat patties. Such techniques typically involve numerous processing steps, some of which are relatively time-consuming and/or require substantial manual labor. 
     Due to the labor-intensive manufacturing process, high-quality precooked meat patties are difficult to manufacture. Some prior attempts to simplify or expedite the meat patty production process have encountered difficulties due to physical characteristics of the meat (e.g., consistency of the meat and its ability to withstand processing without disintegrating) or considerations relating to the end consumer (e.g., taste and/or texture of the patties). It is desirable to simplify, automate, and/or expedite manufacturing of meat patties while improving the quality of the patties. 
     SUMMARY 
     In some embodiments, a warm forming process for forming a meat patty includes heating an uncooked ground meat product to a temperature T 1 , wherein T 1 &gt;32° F. The uncooked ground meat product is formed into an uncooked patty at temperature T 1 . The uncooked patty is precooked to form a precooked patty having a skin of depth D comprising denatured protein. The skin is formed on at least an area on the outside of the precooked patty. At least a first portion of the meat product disposed beneath said skin is at approximately T 1 . The precooked patty is cooked to form a cooked patty, wherein said at least a first portion of the meat product is at a temperature T 2 , The cooked patty is then frozen and then packaged. 
     In some embodiments, a cold forming process for forming a meat patty includes coarse grinding a meat product. The coarse ground meat product is blended with first ingredients to a temperature T 1  wherein T 1 &lt;40° F. The process includes fine grinding the blended meat product and forming the ground meat product into an uncooked patty at T 1 . The uncooked patty is cooked to form a precooked patty having a skin of depth D comprising denatured protein, wherein said skin is formed on at least an area on the outside of the precooked patty at a temperature T 2 , and wherein at least a first portion of the meat product disposed beneath said skin is at approximately temperature T 1 , and wherein T 2 &gt;T 1 . The precooked patty is chilled and then packaged. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a conventional system for producing a precooked meat patty. 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a system for producing a precooked meat patty product in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of an example system for forming and precooking meat product patties in accordance with some embodiments. 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of the system of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is a side view of two patty formers and a pan conveyor of the system of  FIGS. 3 and 4 . 
         FIG. 6  is another side view of the two patty formers and the pan conveyor of  FIGS. 3-5 . 
         FIG. 7  is a top view of the two patty formers and the pan conveyor of  FIGS. 3-6 . 
         FIGS. 8A-8D  are a set of illustrations of side, bottom, isometric and cross section cut views of a flow block used to funnel meat product into patty form pans with the patty formers of  FIGS. 3-7 . 
         FIG. 9  is a side view of a first infrared oven used in the system of  FIGS. 3 and 4 . 
         FIG. 10  is a top view of a patty flipping portion between the pan conveyor and a patty conveyor of the system of  FIGS. 3 and 4 . 
         FIG. 11  is a side view of a third infrared oven of the system of  FIGS. 3 and 4 . 
         FIG. 12  is a top view of the third infrared oven of  FIG. 11 . 
         FIG. 13  is a block diagram for a system in accordance with another embodiment involving in-bag cooking of meat. 
         FIGS. 14A-14C  are illustrations of a technique for forming and precooking meat patties in accordance with some embodiments.  14 A: top perspective view;  14 B: bottom perspective view;  14 C: top perspective view with dual heat jackets. 
         FIGS. 15A-15B  are elevation and top views, respectively, of a system for patty formation and precooking in accordance with some embodiments. 
         FIG. 16  is an illustration of a patty form disk in accordance with some embodiments. 
         FIGS. 17A-17B  are illustrations of patty forming apparatuses in accordance with some embodiments. 
         FIGS. 18A-18B  are illustrations of an apparatus that provides uniform flatness to formed meat patties in accordance with some embodiments.  18 A: top view;  18 B: partial sectional view. 
         FIG. 19  is a side view of a system for precooking meat patties using a hot water treatment. 
         FIG. 20  a flow diagram of a process in accordance with some embodiments that includes hot water treatment of meat patties. 
         FIG. 21  is a flow diagram for a process in accordance with some embodiments. 
         FIG. 22  is a block diagram of a system in accordance with some embodiments. 
         FIG. 23  is a flow diagram for a process in accordance with some embodiments. 
         FIG. 24  is a block diagram of a system in accordance with some embodiments. 
         FIG. 25  is a flow diagram for a process in accordance with some embodiments. 
         FIG. 26  is a block diagram of a system in accordance with some embodiments. 
         FIG. 27  is a flow diagram for a process in accordance with some embodiments. 
         FIG. 28  is a block diagram of a system in accordance with some embodiments. 
         FIG. 29  is a flow diagram for a process in accordance with some embodiments. 
         FIG. 30  is a block diagram of a system in accordance with some embodiments. 
         FIG. 31  is a flow diagram for a process in accordance with some embodiments. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     This description of the exemplary embodiments is intended to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are to be considered part of the entire written description. In the description, relative terms such as “lower,” “upper,” “horizontal,” “vertical,”, “above,” “below,” “up,” “down,” “top” and “bottom” as well as derivatives thereof (e.g., “horizontally,” “vertically,” “downwardly,” “upwardly,” etc.) should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawing under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description and do not require that any apparatus or process be constructed, operated, or performed in a particular orientation. 
     Various embodiments of the present disclosure relate to new systems and methods for producing meat patties. Efficiencies are achieved in terms of time, space, and/or resource requirements compared to prior meat patty production techniques. For example, some systems and methods reduce or eliminate manual labor during the patty production process, thereby speeding up the end-to-end process and/or reducing energy expenditure. In some embodiments, ground meat patties are produced with a crumbly texture that is pleasing to consumers. 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a conventional system  100  for producing a precooked sliced meat product. Fat trimmings and lean trimmings  105  are added to a first grinder  110  and coarsely ground to about ⅜ to ⅝ of an inch. The ground meat is transferred from the first grinder  110  to a blender and/or mixer  115  and combined with other ingredients  120  such as salt, cure, spices, and other flavorings. After being blended and/or mixed to form a coarsely ground meat mixture, the coarsely ground meat mixture is transferred to a heater and/or heat exchanger  125  (referred to as a heater for convenience) and heated to 50-100° F. The heated meat mixture is then transferred to a second grinder  130  and more finely ground to about 3/32 to ⅛ of an inch. 
     The finely-ground heated meat mixture is then transferred to a log former and encaser  135 . The log former and encaser  135  forces the finely-ground heated meat mixture into plastic casings to form logs of predetermined diameter such that, after cooking, slices of the logs cut perpendicular to the center axis of the logs are of the desired diameter for the final fully cooked product. 
     After the encased logs are formed, they are loaded into a first freezer  140 , to be fully frozen. This is done to accommodate later slicing since the raw meat logs cannot easily be sliced even when chilled to be somewhat firm, such as raw cased sausages bought at a grocery store. The large logs may take up to 48 hours to freeze fully to be sliced properly. 
     After being frozen in the first freezer  140 , the logs are stripped of the casings by a stripper  145 . Stripper  145  may be a combination of a casing cutter that cuts the casing along a length of the log, and a worker that manually strips the casing from the log. This manual stripping process is slow and tedious. The stripped logs are then manually placed in a slicer  150 . 
     Slicer  150  is able to slice the frozen logs using a band saw blade or a solid metal blade. Since the logs are frozen, the slices generally retain their shape while being sliced. This would not be the case if the logs were not frozen prior to slicing. There will be some significant loss of meat during the slicing process, about 3-6%. 
     The sliced frozen meat patties are then transferred to an oven  155  where they are fully cooked to a temperature of above 165° F. The fully cooked patties are then transferred to a second freezer  160  to be frozen a second time. The frozen patties are then bulk packed. 
     The total length of time to complete the processing of the fully cooked meat product using the system  100 , from grinding the fat trimmings and trimmings  105  to packaging the frozen patties with the packager  165 , can take multiple days. Additionally, such a process is labor-intensive, particularly if casings are stripped manually and stripped logs are manually placed in slicer  150 . 
       FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a system  200  for producing a precooked meat patty product in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. The meat patty may correspond to any kind of meat, e.g., chicken, beef, turkey, pork, or any combination thereof. Fat trimmings and lean trimmings  205  are ground in a first grinder  210 , combined with other ingredients  220  in a blender and/or mixer  215 , and heated in a heater  225  (e.g., to a temperature greater than 32° F., in some cases to a temperature between 35-110° F., and in some cases to a temperature simulating a pre-rigor state, such as 90° F.). The temperature to which the meat is heated may depend on the type of meat. In some examples, for chicken, beef, turkey, and/or combinations thereof, the meat is heated at heater and/or heat exchanger  225  to between 30-50° F. In other examples, for pork, beef, turkey, and/or combinations thereof, the meat is heated at heater and/or heat exchanger  225  to between 40-75° F. In yet other examples, the meat includes pork and is heated at heater and/or heat exchanger  225  to between 76-110° F. Optionally, the meat is then finely ground in a second grinder  230 . Instead of using a log former/encaser  135 , first freezer  140 , casing stripper  145 , and slicer  150 , patties are formed at patty former  235  and precooked at precooker  240 . Various example implementations of patty formation and precooking are described below. 
     Patty former  235  fills patty molds with finely-ground meat from the second grinder  230  without the need for forming encased logs of meat product, freezing the logs, and then slicing the frozen encased meat logs. Because the meat is heated at heater and/or heat exchanger  225 , e.g., to a temperature above 32° F., this technique for forming patties is referred to as a warm formation process. In other embodiments, heating is not performed prior to patty formation (e.g., the heater and/or heat exchanger  225  is eliminated), and such a process is referred to as a cold formation process. 
     By replacing the log forming/encasing, freezing, stripping, and slicing steps of the prior process  100 , the total time for forming and cooking the meat patties may be reduced from two days to about two hours or less, resulting in cost savings and increased yield. 
     After the heated finely-ground meat has been directed into the patty molds by the patty formers  235 , precooker  240  sears at least one side, and in some implementations both sides, of the formed patties such that they are able to be removed from the patty molds and remain intact during the entire precooking process. Without such searing, the formed patties may have a consistency that is similar to oatmeal which would complicate subsequent processing, e.g., because the formed patties may have a tendency to break apart when removed from patty molds. Precooking the formed patties causes the patties to have a skin including denatured proteins. The skin is formed on at least an area on the outside of the precooked patties. At least a portion of the meat product beneath the skin is at approximately the temperature to which the patties were heated by heater and/or heat exchanger  225  (or at approximately the temperature of the output of the second grinder  230  for the cold formation process). 
     In one embodiment, precooker  240  comprises at least one infrared oven. Other examples of heating techniques that may be used at precooker  240  include inductive heating, steam conduction heating, electric conduction heating, thermal oil conduction heating, application of a hot water shower, hot water spray, application of another hot liquid that sets the surface protein on contact, and combinations thereof. In an embodiment, precooker  240  may produce a heat on the order of about 550° F. to about 600° F., depending on the size of the patties. At such high temperatures, the precooking/searing may take about 30 to 60 seconds to precook the patties. The time duration for precooking may be a function of the species of the meat, the thickness of the patty, the temperature of the precooking/searing, and/or the precooking/searing method employed. With sufficient heat applied to the surface of the meat, the protein will typically denature in seconds, forming a skin of denatured protein at the surface Details of examples of precooker  240  are described below. 
     After precooking/searing the patties such that the patties remain intact when released from the patty form molds, the patties are fully cooked in an oven  245 . Oven  245  may be an impingement oven or other type of oven, heat application device, a water bath, or oil bath (fry), for example. Oven  245  cooks the patties to a high temperature (e.g., 150-180° F., and in some cases any temperature over 165° F.) such that the meat patties have been fully cooked and are appropriate for human consumption. Thus, in some examples, the temperature of the portion of the meat product below the skin is raised from between 32-110° F. to between 150-180° F. Because the patties were not frozen prior to being cooked in precooker  240  and oven  245 , the total cooking process time is reduced compared to prior system  100 . 
     The fully-cooked patties are transferred from oven  245  to a freezer  250  to be frozen. When the patties have been frozen, they are bulk packed or packed for shipment at packager  255 . 
       FIGS. 3 and 4  are side and top views, respectively, of an example patty forming and precooking system  300  that may be used as the patty former  235  and precooker  240  in system  200  ( FIG. 2 ). In  FIG. 3 , the process flows from right to left. Upstream of the patty formers  305  (to the right of patty formers  305  in the side view of  FIG. 3 ) are the heater and/or heat exchanger  225  (e.g., a scrape surface heat exchanger for the warm formation process), and the second grinder  230  (e.g., an inline grinder) that forms the final grind as described above with reference to  FIG. 2 . 
     At the far right side of the patty forming and precooking system  300  are two patty formers  305  that receive heated (e.g., at pre-rigor temperature) meat, for the warm formation process, from the second grinder  230  (not shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 ). A pan conveyor  310  moves a plurality of form pans under the patty formers  305 . The patty formers  305 , details of which are described below, fill patty form molds in the form pans with the heated ground meat. The pan conveyor  310  conveys the filled form pans under a first infrared oven  320 - 1 . The first infrared oven  320 - 1  includes a plurality of infrared burners  315  that are located above the pan conveyor  310 . The infrared burners  315  or pan conveyors  310  are capable of being moved vertically in order to achieve the desired temperature and intensity during precooking of the patties in the form pans. 
     As the form pans are conveyed by pan conveyor  310  through the first infrared oven  320 - 1 , infrared burners  315  precook/sear the meat patties in the patty form molds from the top. Sufficient heat is applied to patties to sear the surface, and during this process product fat melts, which assists with patty release. Additional heat sources might be required on the bottom of the pan in the case of some products to release patties. An induction coil may be used as such an additional heat source, with other examples being a gas flame, thermal coil, or steam coil. 
     In some embodiments, when the form pans reach the far left side of the pan conveyor  310 , the form pans are rotated around the left side of the pan conveyor  310 , causing the partially precooked patties to fall from the form pans of the pan conveyor  310  onto a patty conveyor  350  such that the bottom of the patties in the form pans are flipped up to be conveyed by the patty conveyor  350  through a second infrared oven  320 - 2  and a third infrared oven  320 - 3 .  FIG. 10  is a top view that shows how form pans  312  of pan conveyor  310  move (from right to left in  FIG. 10 ). Referring back to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , infrared burners  315  in the second and third infrared ovens  320 - 2  and  320 - 3  then precook/sear the second side of the meat patties from above. The infrared heat provides a relatively uniform brownness and retains the shape of the meat. The use of the first infrared oven  320 - 1  to cook/sear a first side along with the second and third infrared ovens  320 - 2  and  320 - 3  to cook/sear the second side provides even browning on both sides of the patties. This infrared heating process assists with patty release and also establishes the shape of the patty. Temperature of the patties exiting the infrared section may be in the range of 100° F.-160° F. 
     Thus, in some embodiments, precooker  240  ( FIG. 2 ) includes a first conveyor (pan conveyor  310 ), heating element for heating a first side of each patty, a flipper (e.g., the curved end portion of pan conveyor  310 ), a second conveyor (patty conveyor  350 ), and a heating element for heating the second side of each patty. By precooking/searing the first side of the patty, a skin including denatured protein is formed on at least a portion of that first side. Then, by precooking/searing the second side of the patty, a skin including denatured protein is formed on at least a portion of that second side. The depth of the skin formed on the first side may be the same as or different than the depth of the skin formed on the second side. The skin formed on each side makes the patty less likely to break apart during subsequent processing or when grasped. 
     In some embodiments, infrared ovens  320  have multiple exhaust fans  325  that are used to control the temperature of the infrared ovens  320 . After the meat patties are conveyed through the second and third infrared ovens  320 - 2  and  320 - 3 , they are transferred to another oven (not shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 ) for final cooking, e.g., oven  245  described above in reference to  FIG. 2 . 
     Pan conveyor  310  and patty conveyor  350 , as shown in  FIG. 4 , may be mounted on rotating rails  360  such that the conveyors  310  and  350  may be moved away from the infrared ovens  320  to allow servicing of the infrared ovens  320  and/or cleaning of pan conveyor  310  and patty conveyor  350 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , a side view of pan conveyor  310  shows rollers  365  that assist in the moving of pan conveyor  310  and all related equipment along rotating rails  360 . Rotating rails  360  can rotate from a position perpendicular to the conveyors to positions parallel to the conveyors such that workers do not trip over rotating rails  360 . 
       FIG. 5  shows an enlarged view of a patty flipping portion  370  where pan conveyor  310  rotates around such that the form pans turn vertical (see far left end of pan conveyor  310  in  FIG. 10 ) and then further rotate under pan conveyor  310 , causing the patties to flip out of the patty molds of the form pan and onto patty conveyor  350 . The relative height between pan conveyor  310  and patty conveyor  350  is controlled to ensure that the patties are rotated during flipping in such a way that all or substantially all of the patties land with the top side (i.e., the side that was facing upwards while on pan conveyor  310 ) on patty conveyor  350  and with the side that was touching the form pans (i.e., the side that was facing downwards while on pan conveyor  310 ) facing upwards when on patty conveyor  350 . 
       FIGS. 6 and 7  show more detailed side and top views, respectively, of patty formers  305  coupled to pan conveyor  310  of  FIGS. 3-5 . Patty formers  305  include two pan filler hoppers  605  that are attached to a frame portion of the pan conveyer  310  above individual form pans  312  (see  FIG. 7 ). In the example of  FIG. 7 , each form pan  312 , in this example, defines twelve individual patty molds  314  that the pan filler hoppers  605  fill with the heated ground meat (for the warm formation process) when individual form pans  312  pass under the pan filler hoppers  605 . In an embodiment, form pans  312  may have a pitch of about 3 inches. Each form pan  312  may be mounted on a set of chains. In one example, the chains may be K1 chains, where K1 refers to the type of attachment holding the form pans  312  to the chain. 
     The patty molds  314  in the form pans  312  are shown in  FIG. 7  as being round, but they may be oval or any other desired shape. Oval patty molds, for example, may have a long axis parallel to the direction of movement of pan conveyor  310 . It has been found that fibers of the ground meat may be aligned by the patty former  605  and the flow block  680  and the fibers shrink more along the aligned direction. Therefore, oval patty molds may result in a more circular final product, which may be desirable. The same principle of controlling the final shape based on expected fiber shrinkage may also apply to rectangular patty molds, in the event that a square product is desired. 
     A pan conveyor drive motor  685  is coupled to pan conveyor  310  to drive the individual form pans  312  with the pan conveyor  310  through the first infrared oven  320 - 1 . A pair of traction roller motors  690  cause the traction rollers  675  of respective pan filler hoppers  605  to rotate inwardly and urge the heated ground meat through respective flow blocks  680 , at low pressure, to fill the patty molds  314  of the form pans  312 . In other words, the finely ground heated meat mixture is funneled into patty molds  314  of patty form pans  312  using patty formers  305 , including traction rollers  675 , flow blocks  680  and traction roller motors  690 . In an embodiment, the combination of the height of the meat in the pan filler hoppers  605  and the traction rollers  675  develops a pressure of about 3-4 feet of water head which equates to about 1.5 to 2 psi or so, depending on the size of the pan filler hopper  605  and the traction rollers  675 . The low pressure provides a loose texture to the patties, which is desirable when pushing the ground meat into the patty molds  314 . 
     It has been found that because of the slipperiness of the heated ground meat, smooth traction rollers  675  may not provide enough pressure to adequately force the ground meat through the flow block  680 . The addition of grooves to the traction rollers  675  forces the heated ground meat into the narrow pathway of the flow block  680  more effectively. The grooves are generally parallel to the spin axis of the traction rollers  675  and may be, in an embodiment, about ⅛ of an inch wide and deep. The narrowest constriction in flow block  680 , described below, may be about the same size as the gap between traction rollers  675 . 
       FIGS. 8A-8D  are a set of illustrations of side ( FIG. 8A ), bottom ( FIG. 8B ), isometric ( FIG. 8C ) and cross section cut ( FIG. 8D ) views of flow block  680  that may be used to funnel the heated ground meat product (for the warm formation process) into patty molds  314  of the patty form pans  312  with patty formers  305  of  FIGS. 3-7 . As seen in  FIGS. 8B-8D , funnel area  805  is formed in the flow block  680  passing from a top portion of the flow block to a bottom portion of the flow block  680 . 
     As seen in  FIG. 8D , funnel area  805  initially constricts to a narrow choke area in the flow block and then expands to lower the pressure of the meat while the meat is forced into the patty molds  314  of the form pans  312  in a manner similar to a converging-diverging nozzle. 
     A handle  810  (seen in  FIGS. 8A-8C ) provides an operator with a convenient means for pushing flow blocks  680  into a bottom portion of pan filler hoppers  605 . A faceplate  815  provides a seal against form pans  312  such that the ground meat stays within funnel area  805  while being urged into the patty molds  314 . A spring-loaded scraper  820  (seen in  FIG. 8D ) with a concave profile is located downstream of traction rollers  675  and downstream of funnel  805 . Scraper  820  presses firmly against a top surface (e.g., aluminum or other metal) of the form pans  312  to scrape away most of the heated ground meat product above patty molds  314  such that the patties have a flat upper surface. Specifically, as form pans  312  move under the flow block  680 , a rear angle edge of a chamfer defined in funnel area  805  presses the ground meat into patty molds  314  (along with the pressure of pan filler hopper  605  and traction rollers  675 ), and scraper  820  scrapes the top of form pans  312 , leaving the tops of form pans  312  clean and the patties flat. 
     Flow block  680  may be made of a plastic such as UHMW. However, it has been found that the intense heat of the infrared ovens  320  may heat form pans  312  to a point where an all-UHMW flow block may warp. If a surface of flow block  680  that touches form pans  312  includes a Teflon layer backed by an aluminum plate, which are then attached to a top layer of UHMW, flow block  680  is more resistant to warping. By making the top portion of flow block  680  out of UHMW plastic, flow block  680  and the bottom of pan filler hopper  605  may be sealed. 
     Spring loaded scraper  820  may be a Teflon bar that sits in a groove defined in the Teflon base layer of flow block  680 . The Teflon bar may have a set of aligning springs above it (not shown) pushing spring loaded scraper  820  against form pans  312 . 
       FIG. 9  shows a more detailed side view of the first infrared oven  320 - 1  and a left portion of the pan conveyor  310  including the patty flipping portion  370  that flips the meat patties, after the top surfaces are precooked/seared by the first infrared oven  320 - 1 , onto the patty conveyor  350 . As shown in  FIG. 9 , a pan preheater  905  (e.g., a radiant heating system, or possibly a conduction system) under form pans  312  on pan conveyor  310 , is configured to preheat form pans  312  after being filled with the heated ground meat. The preheating helps to ensure partial melting of the fat trimmings in patty molds  314  to help to flip the meat patties out of patty molds  314  at patty flipping portion  370 . 
     A control panel  915  is used to set temperatures of the first, second and third infrared ovens  320 - 1 ,  320 - 2  and  320 - 3 , and conveyance speed parameters of pan conveyor  310  and patty conveyor  350 . In an embodiment, a first infrared oven compartment  920 - 1  is cantilevered over pan conveyor  310  and houses infrared burners  315 , which can be moved up and down relative to pan conveyor  310  using the control panel  915 . 
       FIG. 10  is a top view of the patty flipping portion  370  between pan conveyor  310  and patty conveyor  350  of the system of  FIGS. 3 and 4 . As shown in  FIG. 10 , when pan conveyor  310  exits the first infrared oven  320 - 1 , pan conveyor  310  reaches a reversal point at patty flipping portion  370 . When pan conveyor  310  revolves around the reversal point at patty flipping portion  370 , the patties are caused to fall out of patty molds  314  in the form pans  312  and caused to flip over onto patty conveyor  350 . After flipping onto pan conveyor  350 , the patties are conveyed on patty conveyor  350  into oven compartment  920 - 2  of the second infrared oven  320 - 2 . The relative height between the pan conveyor  310  and the patty conveyor  350  is sized to ensure that the patties are rotated during flipping in such a way that all the patties, or substantially all the patties, land with the top side on patty conveyor  350  and with the side that was touching form pans  312  facing upwards. 
       FIGS. 11 and 12  show a side view and a top view, respectively, of the third infrared oven  320 - 3  shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . The third infrared oven  320 - 3  and the second infrared oven  320 - 2  are similar, in this example. The side view in  FIG. 11  shows infrared burners  315  in oven compartment  920 - 3 , where infrared burners  315  are also movable in a vertical direction to be a selected distance from the patties being conveyed below on patty conveyor  350 . As also illustrated in  FIG. 11 , the third infrared oven  320 - 3  (and the second infrared oven  320 - 2 ) is equipped with a grease drain  1110  where grease that is expelled from the patties and drips through grates of patty conveyor  350  drains into a collection area to be disposed of. As described above, when the patties reach the end of patty conveyor  350 , they are conveyed (e.g., via another conveyor or other conveyance means not shown in  FIGS. 11 and 12 ) to an impingement oven (not shown) for final cooking. 
       FIG. 13  is a block diagram for a system in accordance with another embodiment involving in-bag cooking of meat. A packager  1342  packages or bags each meat patty after it has been precooked by precooker  1340 . For example, the meat patties may be individually wrapped in plastic bags. Then, the meat patties are cooked while inside bags at oven  1345 . In-bag cooking of meat reduces the likelihood of certain types of meat contamination, e.g., because bacteria such as listeria can be killed by heat in oven  1345  and no bacteria or other undesirable organisms can enter the bags surrounding the patties. Other aspects of  FIG. 13  are similar to aspects of  FIG. 2  and do not require further explanation. 
       FIGS. 14A-14C  are illustrations of another technique for forming and precooking meat patties. Referring to the top perspective view of  FIG. 14A , an apparatus  1400   a  includes a conveyor  1402  that moves in the direction indicated by arrows  1410 . Conveyor  1402  includes multiple form pans  1403 , with each form pan defining one or more (in this example, three) individual patty molds  1404 . Form pans  1403  may be implemented in a manner similar to form pans  312  shown in  FIG. 7 . Meat product (e.g., heated finely ground meat from second grinder  230  for the warm formation process) is fed into apparatus  1400   a  at inlet  1406 , which directs the meat into respective form patty molds  1404 . As seen in the bottom view of  FIG. 14B , there is a bottom  1405  underlying patty molds  1404  along at least a portion of the length of the top portion of conveyor  1402 , but the patty molds in this embodiment do not have a bottom at other locations along the conveyor, as evidenced by the ability to see through the patty molds at certain places in  FIGS. 14A-14B . As each patty  1408  proceeds along conveyor  1402 , it is heated by a heating plate  1420  and heating coil  1421 , which may be an inductive heating coil. 
     Although heating plate  1420  and heating coil  1421  are shown in  FIGS. 14A-14B  in a configuration below the patties proceeding along the top part of conveyor  1402 , in some embodiments the heating plate and heating coil may be positioned above the patties proceeding along the top part of conveyor  1402 , below the patties proceeding along the bottom part of conveyor  1402 , or above the patties proceeding along the bottom part of conveyor  1402 . In other words, heating may be performed on either side of either of the linear segments of conveyor  1402 . 
     Another conveyor  1422 , oriented, in the embodiment shown, substantially perpendicular to conveyor  1402  and with molds arranged and dimensioned to match patty molds  1404 , moves in the direction indicated by arrow  1430  and transports the patties (heated by heating plate  1420  and heating coil  1421 ) for further processing. In some embodiments, a mechanical knockout unit (not shown) punches the patties out of molds  1404  to ensure that they are released at the correct time, e.g., in order to fall into molds of conveyor  1422 . 
       FIG. 14C  is a perspective view of another apparatus  1400   b  that is similar to apparatus  1400   b  but includes a first heating plate  1420   a  and first heating coil  1421   a  above form pans  1403 , and a second heating plate  1420   b  and second heating coil (not shown in this view) below form pans  1403 . By including two heating elements on either side of the patties moving along conveyor  1402  (a configuration referred to as top and bottom heat jackets or dual heat jackets), the patties are quickly and efficiently heated in a uniform manner. Although the dual heat jackets are shown in  FIG. 14C  as sandwiching the top linear segment of conveyor  1402 , in some embodiments they may sandwich the bottom linear segment of conveyor  1402 . 
       FIG. 15A  is an elevation view of a system  1500  in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.  FIG. 15B  is a top view of system  1500 . System  1500  includes a rotary forming apparatus  1505  for forming meat patties. Rotary forming apparatus  1505  includes a drum  1510  that rotates in direction  1501  (shown as a counterclockwise direction in the example view of  FIG. 15A , but a configuration having a clockwise rotation is also contemplated). A plurality of patty form molds  1515 , each of which may be round, oval, or having any other desired shape, are positioned to receive meat product that may be provided to rotary forming apparatus  1505  from a hopper via an inlet (not shown). In an embodiment, patty form molds  1515  comprise sides with a bottom, where the top is open. In another embodiment, patty form molds  1515  comprise sides where both the top and bottom are open. 
     In an embodiment, patty form molds  1515  are filled with meat product from the hopper when the patty form molds are at position A as shown in  FIG. 15A . Other positions for filling the patty form molds with meat product are contemplated herein taking into account the criteria that the meat product has a sufficient amount of time to form a skin, as discussed below, in less than one full rotation of the patty form molds around drum  1510 . The meat product may correspond to any meat species and may comprise, e.g., chicken, beef, turkey, pork, and combinations thereof. 
     The meat product that fills patty form molds  1515  is initially of a consistency that does not hold together sufficiently well for handling and/or process purposes. As patty form molds  1515  are transported along a circular path by rotation of drum  1510 , the meat product within patty form molds  1515  is heated by one or more induction coils  1520  embedded on the inside of drum  1510 . In other embodiments, induction coils  1520  may be disposed on the outside of drum  1510  and/or on both the inside and outside of drum  1510 . Rotary forming apparatus  1505  may also include one or more insulator plates  1530  for providing insulation, as well as one or more cooling coils  1540  for providing cooling capability, e.g., to control the temperature and thus the heating of the meat product in patty form molds  1515 . The placement of the induction coils  1520  and the cooling coils  1540  in  FIG. 15A  is exemplary only. Other arrangements of the induction coils  1520  and the cooling coils  1540  are contemplated herein. Because drum  1510  becomes hot, it is desirable to prevent excessive heat conduction to the working mechanism of rotary forming apparatus  1505 , because the thermal expansion could cause excessive stress and wear. Cooling coils  1540  and insulator plate(s)  1530  are designed to keep the temperatures of the working mechanism within their normal operational limits. 
     Thus, the meat product is heated as drum  1510  rotates, and a skin is set on the outside surface of each meat patty. The skin may comprise denatured proteins from the meat product and the skin on the meat patty may have a depth D. In some embodiments, the depth D is a small fraction of the thickness H of the meat patty. In certain embodiments 0≤D≤0.1H. In other embodiments, 0.01H≤D≤0.05H. In still other embodiments, 0.1H≤D≤0.25H. In further embodiments, 0.01H≤D≤0.33H. In still further embodiments, 0≤D≤0.49H. In all embodiments, portions of the meat product in the meat patty that is located under the skin is not fully cooked by the heating of the meat product to form the skin. 
     The configuration of rotary forming apparatus  1505  makes efficient use of available space and provides heating via induction coil(s)  1520  that forms the skin completely around the meat patty. The resulting skin makes patty  1580  hold together sufficiently well for further handling and/or process purposes. A knockout unit  1550 , visible as a rectangular device in the side view of  FIG. 15A , moves in and out with respect to the central portion of the rotary forming apparatus  1505 , e.g., in the manner of a piston, and knocks meat patties in patty form molds  1515  onto conveyor belt  1560  in direction  1502 . For embodiments where patty form molds  1515  comprise sides with a bottom, knockout unit  1550  strikes the bottom of patty form molds  1515  with sufficient force to dislodge the meat patty from the patty form molds onto conveyor belt  1560 . For embodiments where patty form molds  1515  comprise sides where both the top and bottom are open, knockout unit  1550  directly contacts the meat patty, thereby impelling the meat patty out of patty form mold  1515  onto conveyor belt  1560 . 
     Conveyor belt  1560  may be a solid stainless steel belt in some embodiments. A meat patty  1580  that has landed on conveyor belt  1560  is transported in direction  1503 . An induction coil  1570  positioned under belt  1560  provides additional heating in some embodiments. Additional processing may be performed, e.g., by moving patty  1580  onto another conveyor belt or to another apparatus in the meat processing system. 
       FIG. 15B  is a top view of system  1500 . In this example, patty molds  1515  are arranged in groups of five on drum  1510 , but the patty molds may be arranged in other configurations. 
       FIG. 16  is an illustration of patty form disk  1610  in accordance with some embodiments. Patty form disk  1610  defines multiple patty form molds  1620  arranged in a starburst pattern, emanating radially outward from a central region of patty form disk  1610 . 
       FIG. 17A  is an illustration of a patty forming apparatus  1700   a  in accordance with some embodiments. Patty forming apparatus  1700   a  includes patty form disk  1610  which defines patty form molds  1620 . Meat product (e.g., heated ground meat, for the warm formation process) inserted at inlet  1740  is funneled into patty form molds  1620 . Patty form disk  1610  rotates in rotational direction  1730 , and for a portion of the rotation heating is provided via induction heater  1750 . In this example, induction heater  1750  covers approximately three-fourths of the angular extent of patty form disk  1610 , and that angular extent defines an induction cooking zone. In other examples, induction heater  1750  may cover a different proportion of patty form disk  1610 . In some embodiments, a bottom is provided underneath form molds  1620  at the region corresponding to induction heater  1750 . When patties proceeding along the rotational motion of patty form disk  1610  exit the induction cooking zone, they may be released from patty form disk  1610 , e.g., if there is no bottom underlying the patties there. 
     Although heater  1750  is shown positioned above patty form disk  1610  in  FIG. 17A , in various embodiments the heater may be below the patty form disk, or two heaters may be provided above and below the patty form disk, respectively. Although patty form disk  1610  rotates and heater  1750  remains fixed in the above example, in other examples the patty form disk remains fixed and the heater rotates, or both the patty form disk and the heater are rotatable. By controlling the duration of exposure of patties in form molds  1620  to heating, the temperature of the patties and the degree of cooking can be controlled. 
       FIG. 17B  is a top view of a patty forming apparatus  1700   b  in accordance with some embodiments. Patty forming apparatus  1700   b  is similar in several respects to forming apparatus  1700   a  but varies in some of the geometrical details regarding patty form molds  1620  and induction heater  1750 . Patty form molds  1620  are filled with meat product via nozzle  1706 , which may be positioned at a given angular position relative to heater  1750 . Induction plate insert  1704  may be formed of a highly inductive material, and other portions of patty form disk  1610  (e.g., at location  1712 ) may be formed of a non-inductive material. Patty form disk  1610  rotates in rotational direction  1702 , causing meat patties to be precooked/seared by heater  1750 . When patties proceeding along the rotational motion of patty form disk  1610  exit the induction cooking zone corresponding to heater  1750 , they may be released from patty form disk  1610 , e.g., if there is no bottom underlying the patties there. 
       FIG. 18A  is a top view of an apparatus  1800  that provides uniform flatness to formed meat patties in accordance with some embodiments. Apparatus  1800  is better understood with reference to the partial sectional view ( FIG. 18B ) taken at the orientation indicated by  1810 . Referring to the partial sectional view of  FIG. 18B , meat product (e.g., heated finely ground meat, for the warm formation process) may be mixed with various ingredients and dispensed from nozzle  1830  into patty form molds  1805  defined by mold plates  1870  (e.g., made of stainless steel or other metal) which moves as indicated by arrow  1802  in this example. Some of the meat product may mound above the form mold  1805  as shown by  1804 . Plate  1860  (e.g., a high temperature resistant teflon plate) is stationary. As the mold plates  1870  move, an air bladder  1840  inflates, causing a scraper  1850  to push downward (indicated by arrow  1803 ) on the top surface of the meat patty thereby removing the mound  1804  and flattening the top surface of the meat patty. Then air bladder  1840  deflates (indicated by arrow  1803 ) causing scraper  1850  to retract (e.g., by a spring (not shown)), and the process continues for successive passing patties. The shape of the scraper  1850  may be of any useful shape to perform the necessary scraping action. 
     In some embodiments, a meat product is processed with a hot water bath to improve the consistency of the meat product and facilitate handling of the meat product by creating a skin of denatured protein as discussed above. In some embodiments, the meat product is in the form of a nugget which may comprise chicken. In other embodiments, the meat product is a patty, as described above.  FIG. 19  is a side view of a system  1900  for precooking/searing meat products using such a hot water bath. Referring to  FIG. 19 , a meat product block (e.g., a nugget or patty)  1910 , which may be ¼″ ground patty, is warm formed in the range of about 45-50° F. In some embodiments, meat block  1910  comprises finely ground chicken, which is among the most difficult meat products to handle, as it tends to come apart when one tries to hold or manipulate it. The interior of meat block  1910  may have an interior that is raw and at a temperature of about 40° F. Meat block  1910  is transported along conveyor belt  1920  in a direction corresponding to arrow  1901  (left to right in the side view of  FIG. 19 ) and is processed by hot water bath  1930  in some embodiments. For example, a pipe or faucet  1940  connected to a hot water source may supply hot water to the hot water bath. 
     The hot water bath may include water at a temperature between 140-212° F., e.g., about 190° F. Meat block  1910  may be treated with (e.g., immersed in) hot water bath  1930  for a few seconds. The duration of exposure to hot water bath  1930  may be dependent on the temperature of the water, e.g., with a longer exposure as the temperature approaches 140° F. and a shorter exposure as the temperature approaches 212° F. 
     In some embodiments, a sprayer or mister is used to apply water (or other liquid, such as an edible oil), e.g., in liquid or mist form  1960  (with or without bath  1930 ), to meat block  1910 , e.g., from above as meat block  1910  proceeds along conveyor  1920  belt in direction  1901 . A sprayer or mister may also be positioned below meat block  1910  (not shown) to apply an upward jet or mist to the bottom of meat block  1910 . In some embodiments using a hot water bath  1930 , meat block  1910  is immersed in the hot water bath such that all portions of the meat block  1910  are exposed to the hot water. 
     As a result of the hot water treatment, a skin is set on the outside surface of meat block  1910  such that meat block  1910  does not come apart when grasped or handled. The skin may be uniformly present at the surface of meat block  1910 . The skin may comprise denatured proteins from the meat product and the skin on the meat block may have a depth D. In some embodiments, the depth D is a small fraction of the thickness H of the meat block. In certain embodiments 0≤D≤0.1H. In other embodiments, 0.01H≤D≤0.05H. In still other embodiments, 0.1H≤D≤0.25H. In further embodiments, 0.01H≤D≤0.33H. In still further embodiments, 0≤D≤0.49H. In all embodiments, portions of the meat product in the meat block  1910  that is located under the skin is not fully cooked by the heating of the meat product to form the skin. 
     In certain embodiments, meat block  1910  may then be processed at breading/battering station  1950 , where bread particles or batter is applied to the meat block, e.g., with a dispenser that is timed to apply (e.g., blow) bread or batter as meat block  1910  passes through, under, or near breading/battering station  1950 . 
     Meat block  1910  may be subjected to additional processing, e.g., cooking, freezing, and packaging. The task of moving meat block  1910  onto another conveyor belt for additional processing is greatly simplified because of the skin that holds meat block  1910  together in accordance with various embodiments. 
       FIG. 20  is a flow diagram of a process  2000  in accordance with some embodiments. A patty (e.g., meat block  1910  shown in  FIG. 19 ) is warm formed at block  2010 . The patty is subjected to a hot water treatment at block  2020 . The patty is breaded and/or battered at block  2030 . Additional processing may be performed as well. 
       FIGS. 21-22  are a flow diagram for process  2100  and a block diagram for system  2200  in accordance with some embodiments. Ground meat product, which may include chicken, beef, turkey, pork, or combinations thereof, is heated (block  2105 ) at heater  2205 , e.g., to a temperature greater than 32° F., in some cases between 35-90° F., and in some cases approximately 90° F. In some examples, for meat including chicken, beef, turkey, or combinations thereof, the meat is heated to a temperature between 30-50° F. In other examples, for meat including pork, beef, turkey, or combinations thereof, the meat may be heated to a temperature between 40-75° F. In yet another example, the meat includes pork and is heated to a temperature between 76-110° F. 
     The meat is optionally subjected to additional grinding (block  2107 ) at grinder  2207 , and used for forming patties (block  2110 ) at patty former  2210 . In an embodiment, patty former  2210  may include nozzle  1830 , mold  1870 , scraper  1850 , and air bladder  1840  as shown in  FIGS. 18A-18B . A mold preheater  2211  may also be used to preheat the patty molds. In some embodiments, mold preheater  2211  includes an induction coil located beneath the mold plate. By delivering controlled power to the induction coil, heat is generated in the mold plate that enables the denatured protein skin to form in the patty. 
     Patty formation may include disposing meat product into one or more patty molds (block  2112 ) using nozzle  1830 , and scraping an excess portion of ground meat off the molds using scraper  1850  (block  2114 ). The uncooked patties produced by patty former  2210  are precooked (block  2115 ) at precooker  2215 , thereby forming precooked patties having a skin comprising denatured protein. The skin is formed on at least a portion of the outside of the precooked patties, and at least a portion of the meat product beneath the skin is at the approximately the temperature to which the meat was heated (block  2105 ) at heater  2205 . Precooking  2115  (at precooker  2215 ) may include applying infrared or inductive heating. The time duration for precooking  2115 / 2215  may be a function of the species of the meat, the thickness of the patty, the temperature of the precooking and/or the precooking method employed. 
     The precooked patties are optionally packaged (block  2120 ) at packager  2220  before being fully cooked (block  2125 ) at cooker  2225  such that they are suitable for human consumption. The temperature of the meat due to cooking  2125  may be between 150-180° F. 
       FIGS. 23-24  are a flow diagram for process  2300  and a block diagram for system  2400  in accordance with some embodiments. Meat (e.g., poultry meat product) is mixed (block  2305 ) at mixer  2405 , which may involve chilling with a coolant such as gaseous CO 2 , and then ground coarsely (block  2310 ) at coarse grinder  2410 . The coarsely ground meat is heated (block  2315 ) at heater  2415  and then ground finely (block  2420 ) at fine grinder  2420 . The finely ground meat is provided to patty former  2425 , which forms patties (block  2325 ) that are precooked (block  2330 ) at precooker  2430 . In an embodiment, precooking  2330  may include precooking a first side of each patty (block  2331 ) using a heating element  2431 , flipping the patties over (block  2332 ) using flipper  2432 , and precooking a second side of each patty (block  2333 ) using a heating element  2433 . The precooked patties are processed by battering and breading (block  2335 ) at batterer/breader  2435 , par fried (block  2340 ) at par fryer  2440 , and fully cooked (block  2345 ) at a higher temperature than precooking  2330  at oven  2445 . The fully cooked patties are frozen (block  2350 ) at freezer  2450  and packaged (block  2355 ) at packager  2455 . 
       FIGS. 25-26  are a flow diagram for process  2500  and a block diagram for system  2600  in accordance with some embodiments. Unlike other examples involving warm forming disclosed herein,  FIGS. 25-26  involve cold forming of meat patties, e.g., forming patties without a prior heating stage. Trim meat (e.g., including chicken, beef, turkey, pork, or combinations thereof) is reduced in size (block  2505 ) at a first size reducer  2605  and then blended (block  2510 ) with other ingredient(s) at blender  2610 . The blending may control the fat percentage and may involve chilling to a target temperature, which may be less than 40° F., e.g., between 22-40° F. A further size reduction (block  2515 ) is performed at a second size reducer  2615 , the output of which is passed to patty former  2620  to form patties (block  2520 ) at the target temperature resulting from the chilling. 
     In an embodiment, patty former  2620  includes a nozzle  1830 , mold  1870 , scraper  1850 , and air bladder  1840 . In some embodiments, mold  1870  includes a bottom and a side, and in other embodiments mold  1870  does not include a bottom. Patty formation includes disposing meat product into mold  1870  using nozzle  1830  (block  2521 ), and scraping an excess portion of ground meat off mold  1870  using scraper  1850  and air bladder  1840  (block  2522 ). Scraper  1850  may be engaged by inflating air bladder  1840 . In some embodiments, mold  1870  is heated (e.g., using an induction coil) prior to disposing the ground meat product into the mold. In some embodiments, mold  1870  is heated using a first induction coil above the mold and a second induction coil below the mold. 
     The formed patties are cooked (block  2525 ) at cooker  2625 , which may be an oven. In some embodiments, cooking the uncooked patties includes applying infrared or inductive heating to the uncooked patties. Cooking the patties forms a precooked patty having a skin of denatured protein. The skin is formed on at least an area on the outside of the precooked patty at a higher temperature (e.g., between 150-180° F.) than the temperature of a portion of the patty beneath the skin. The temperature of the portion of the patty beneath the skin may be approximately the target temperature. The time duration for cooking may be a function of the species of the meat, the thickness of the patty, the temperature of the precooking, and/or a cooking method employed. 
     The cooked patties are chilled (block  2530 ) at chiller  2630  and packaged (block  2535 ) at packager  2635 . 
       FIGS. 27-28  are a flow diagram for process  2700  and a block diagram for system  2800  in accordance with some embodiments.  FIGS. 27-28  are similar in several respects to  FIGS. 25-26  but involve warm forming instead of cold forming the patties, because heating (block  2715 ) at heater  2815  is performed before the patties are formed. Heating  2715  influences the texture of the patties, because the temperature for heating  2715  can be controlled to determine the degree of crumble of the patties. The temperature for optimal crumbliness depends on the meat species. In some embodiments, the temperature for heating  2715  is between 35-50° F. for chicken, beef, turkey, and combinations thereof. In other embodiments, the temperature for heating  2715  is between 46-75° F. for pork, turkey, beef, and combinations thereof. For example, pork may be heated to about 75° F., turkey may be heated to about 65° F., and beef may be heated to about 47° F. In another embodiment, the temperature for heating  2715  is between 76-95° F. for pork. Crumbliness may be determined by texture analysis of the patties. The remaining aspects of  FIGS. 27-28  are the same as in  FIGS. 25-26  and do not require further explanation. 
       FIGS. 29-30  are a flow diagram for process  2900  and a block diagram for system  3000  in accordance with some embodiments.  FIGS. 29-30  are similar in several respects to  FIGS. 25-26  but do not involve a cooking stage between patty formation  2925  and chilling  2930 . Additionally, patty mold  1870  is heated (block  2926 ) by mold heater  2211 . The remaining aspects of  FIGS. 29-30  are the same as in  FIGS. 27-28  and do not require further explanation. 
       FIG. 31  is a flow diagram of a process  3100  in accordance with some embodiments. One or more meat types are mixed (blending  3105 ), and seasoning ingredients may be added with additional mixing. Blending  3105  may involve chilling the blended materials. The blended meat product is coarsely ground (block  3110 ), and fed to a controlled pump  3115 , which pumps the meat at a uniform rate to heater  3120 , where the meat blend is warmed to a target temperature. The heated meat is deposited to a metering hopper  3125  and directed to a controlled pump  3130 . Metering hopper  3125  is a hopper that acts as a buffer or accumulator to balance or smooth out momentary starts and stops in the production system without the need to shut down activities that are occurring upstream. In other words, metering hopper  3125  is a balancing mechanism. 
     Controlled pumping at controlled pump  3130  refers to maintaining consistent and stable pressure at the mold filling point. To accomplish this, the pump is operated intermittently. In other words, because the mold plates are moving on a conveyor there are times when there is no place for the meat material to flow, so if the pump were running continuously there would be buildup of pressure in the pipe because of compression of the meat material. Using controlled pumping, when the mold plate reaches the correct position, there is a place for the meat material to flow, so the pressure buildup is avoided. In some embodiments, when speed of the conveyor is changed and the mold plates are either moving faster under the filling nozzle or slower under the filling nozzle, the controlled pump  3115  accommodates for this change in speed. Thus, through controlled pumping overpressure situations (which would cause meat to leak out excessively) and underpressure situations (which would result in incomplete fills of the mold plate) are avoided. 
     The pumped meat from controlled pump  3130  is ground finely (block  3135 ) and directed to a former, where patties are formed (block  3140 ). After the patties are formed, the patties are cooked (block  3150 ), frozen (block  3155 ), and packaged (block  3160 ). 
     Although examples are illustrated and described herein, embodiments are nevertheless not limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein by those of ordinary skill within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims. Although certain details or parameters are described above in the context of particular figures, flow diagrams, or systems, such details or parameters may be applicable to other figures, flow diagrams, or systems.