Patent ID: 7715935

Claim:
A system for pre-analyzing how to process food products capable of being portioned to achieve an optimum yield of end products from the food products, comprising: (a) a scanner for scanning a food product, (b) a data processor for receiving data from the scanner and using such data to develop a volume distribution of the food product that has been scanned; (c) wherein the data processor is programmed to predetermine potential sets of end products of predetermined physical parameters achievable by portioning the food product taking into consideration cutting and potentially flattening the food product and whether the flattening should occur either before or after cutting the food product; and further taking into consideration: (i) if flattening the food product should occur before cutting, determining potential end product sets by first flattening and then cutting the food product; (ii) if flattening of the food product should occur after cutting, determining the potential end product sets by first cutting and then flattening the food product; and (iii) if the determination is made not to flatten the food product, determining potential end product sets without any flattening; (d) wherein the data processor is programmed to select one of the potential sets of end products achievable by portioning the food product prior to actual cutting occurring and prior to optionally flattening of the food product either before or after cutting the food product.