Methods and Apparatus for Processing Perishable Products
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Abstract
A centralised cabinet ready processing system for perishable food products such as meat includes containers (50) that are used in conjunction with processing devices including a lid (56), a gassing apparatus (58), trays (82), compression apparatus (72, 74), and internal cooling apparatus (70) to treat the food product dependent on the food product type. An inventory (1), transport system (2, 20, 22) and control system are also provided to allow efficient and safe handling of food products to achieve processing.
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Citations
47 Claims
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1-26. -26. (canceled)
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27. Apparatus for processing meat primals, the apparatus comprising
a liddable container having a handling means provided on an external surface thereof to allow automated handling of the container, and a plurality of processing devices including a lid, a gassing means, a tray means, a compression means, and an internal cooling means.
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33. A method of processing meat primals, the method comprising
providing a liddable container having a handling means provided on an external surface thereof to allow automated handling of the container, providing processing devices including a lid, a gassing means, a tray means, a compression means, and an internal cooling means, receiving the meat primals, and containerising the primals in the container in conjunction with one or more of the processing devices dependent on a property of the primals.
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35. A method for centralised processing of meat primals, the method comprising the steps of
providing a plurality of reusable containers, placing a meat product production ingredient in each container and storing the containers in an inventory, selecting at least one container, retrieving the container from the inventory, removing the ingredient from the container, using the ingredient in a processing operation, returning any unused ingredient to the container, and returning the container to the inventory.
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39. A method for centralised processing of meat primals, the method comprising the steps of
providing a plurality of reusable containers, placing a meat product production ingredient in each container and storing the containers in an inventory, selecting at least one container, retrieving the selected container from the inventory, removing the ingredient from the selected container, using the ingredient in a meat processing operation, placing by-products or semi-finished products of the meat processing operation in a container, and placing the container in the inventory.
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40. A method for processing meat primals, the method comprising the steps of
containerising and storing a plurality of ingredients that may be used to produce one or more retail meat products, selecting a product to be produced, providing a list of required ingredients required to produce the selected product, placing a request for delivery of each required ingredient to a production area, selecting one or more containers in which the required ingredients are stored, delivering the selected containers to the production area.
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42. Apparatus for processing meat primals, the apparatus comprising:
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a post slaughter meat processing inventory having a plurality of container support structures adapted to support containers containing at least one meat processing ingredient; a production apparatus for production of retail meat products using the one or more ingredients stored in the containers; container transport means to transport the containers between the shelves and the production apparatus; and control means to receive a delivery request for an ingredient, select a container containing the ingredient, and cause the container transport means to transport the selected container to, or adjacent to, the production apparatus in response to the delivery request. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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Specification