Patent ID: 8584867

Claim:
A method for sorting meat trim portions having a meat type and lean point, the method comprising: providing a plurality of meat trim portions; identifying the meat type of each meat trim portion; determining information associated with the lean point of each meat trim portion; comparing one or both of the meat type of each meat trim portion and the information associated with the lean point of each meat trim portion to one or both of a first group of meat types and a first group of target lean points, wherein one or both of each meat type of the first group of meat types and each target lean point of the first group of target lean points corresponds with at least one of a plurality of containers; depositing each meat trim portion into the container of the plurality of containers having one or both of the meat type and target lean point corresponding with one or both of the identified meat type and the determined information associated with the lean point; selecting a meat trim portion from a container of the plurality of containers; measuring the lean point of a meat trim portion selected from the container of the plurality of containers; comparing one or both of the meat type and the measured lean point to a second group of meat types and a second group of target lean points wherein each meat type of the second group of meat types and each target lean point of the second group of target lean types is associated with at least one of a plurality of combination bins; and depositing the meat trim portion into the combination bin having one or both of the meat type and the target lean point corresponding with one or both of the identified meat type and determined lean point.