FR2820285A1 - A procedure for processing meat in e.g. industrial abattoirs and packing plants, involves keeping cuts from original carcass section in one receptacle to ensure traceability - Google Patents

Abstract

A procedure, in which pieces of meat (Y1, Y2, Y3) taken from an original carcass section (X) are cut and trimmed to modify their appearance and/or size and then weighed and/or packed and/or dispatched at a series of different work stations, consists of keeping all the pieces in the same receptacle (7) during the different processes to ensure traceability back to the original carcass.

Description

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 The present invention relates to a method of processing a series of pieces of meat.

 It also relates to an installation and a receptacle for the implementation of this process.

 The slaughter of animals and the processing of their meat for later sale is commonly carried out in so-called "industrial" slaughterhouses.

 Other premises, commonly called "meat complex", are also used to process meat. However, for convenience, we will only take the example of slaughterhouses below.

 In the latter, especially in those where cattle are slaughtered, the actual slaughter is carried out, but also multiple subsequent operations.

 Thus, for example, the "carcasses" of slaughtered animals are cut into quarters, the quarters are boned, and these are separated into a set of portions.

 At this stage, operators process each of the portions, for example with a view to removing a particular type of piece therefrom, or implementing a particular operation (enervation, degreasing, etc.).

 In principle, each operator is allocated a specific type of operation, this in order to improve the overall yield of the slaughterhouse.

 Thus, for example, the person whose task is to remove the nerves from the pieces of meat which circulate in front of them will, after having carried out the work which is asked of him, deposit the pieces of meat on means of conveyance towards a second station where another operator will perform an additional operation.

 Ultimately, a succession of pieces of meat, of various origins, will be brought to circulate in front of operators, and it will be difficult, except to cause loss of time, profitability and reliability, to attribute to each piece of meat ready to be weighed and / or packaged and / or shipped, a precise "history", namely a list of information as exhaustive as possible, notably informing the end customer, for example the consumer, about the origin of the animal the piece of meat was taken from, identification of the breeder, date and time of slaughter, remaining fat content, etc.

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 In other words, it is difficult to ensure in a simple manner, perfect "traceability" of the meat, traceability being understood as an efficient system of identification and registration which not only makes it possible to have the information on the animal itself, but also those relating to the processing of meat and its marketing.

 Now everyone knows, especially from recent events related to bovine spongiform encephalopathy, that consumers are very concerned about having access to this information which, for them, is a proof of guarantee of the good quality of the meat.

 The present invention aims precisely to propose a rational process for treating a series of pieces of meat, which makes it possible to ensure traceability thereof simply and in a safe manner.

 In a manner known per se, this method comprises a first step of separating said parts into as many sets of portions, at least a second step of processing at least a portion of said portions of each set, with a view to modifying them. appearance and / or size and a final weighing and / or packaging and / or shipping step, these steps being carried out at different work stations.

 This process is remarkable in that it consists, during the first step, of depositing the portions coming from the same part in a determined receptacle, then of moving said receptacle towards the successive work stations in order to carry out there. the implementation of the other steps, said portions being at each station taken from the receptacle, processed and then put back into the receptacle, so that at the final stage, the products to be weighed and / or packaged and / or dispatched, extracts from 'a specific receptacle, all come from a single piece of meat.

 The respective meanings of terms or expressions used throughout this application are given below.

 The term "meat" means not only the flesh of mammals, but also the flesh of farmed birds, in particular poultry and ostriches, and the flesh of fish.

 The expression "piece of meat" means the entire meat mass of the animal, possibly free of its bones, or a fraction of this meat mass.

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 Thus, when the slaughtered animal is a bovine, said piece of meat can consist, for example, of the whole of its meat mass, a quarter thereof or a fraction of this quarter, of even lesser mass.

 By the expression "separation of said parts into as many sets of portions", it is meant that one of each of said pieces is divided into a set of portions, each portion consisting for example of a muscle of determined type, a group of muscles still attached to each other, or in severed muscles.

 Finally, by the expression "treatment (...) with a view to modifying the appearance", it is meant that said portions are subjected to at least one operation which consists in removing from them portions which are not made up of lean meat, namely nerves, fat, aponeuroses, etc.

 The fact of depositing the portions coming from the same part in a determined receptacle, then moving said receptacle towards the successive work stations, said portions being at each station removed from the receptacle, treated then returned to the receptacle, will make it possible to follow at best the "routing" of each piece of meat within the slaughterhouse and, consequently, allow better traceability of the meat.

 Indeed, by following the path of a given receptacle, we also follow its content.

 This traceability will be all the easier to implement as the receptacle constitutes a support on which it is possible to position information relating to the meat which it contains, with the possibility of updating and supplementing it as and as the process is implemented.

- il comprend une troisième étape d'épluchage et de finition d'au moins une partie desdites portions ; - à chaque pièce de viande est associée une série d'informations, et ces informations sont directement portées par ladite pièce ou disposées à proximité immédiate de celle-ci ; According to other advantageous and non-limiting characteristics of this process: - prior to the first step, the boning of said pieces of meat is carried out; - Said second treatment step consists in degreasing at least part of said portions;

- It includes a third step of peeling and finishing at least part of said portions; - Each piece of meat is associated with a series of information, and this information is directly carried by said piece or arranged in the immediate vicinity thereof;

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 - Said series of information is positioned on a label carried by said piece of meat, this information being printed in plain text or in the form of a bar code; - A receptacle is used which carries means for storing information and, during the implementation of the first step, those carried by said part or disposed in the immediate vicinity thereof are transferred into the storage means; - Said storage means are of the microprocessor type; the final step comprises the packaging of said parts in at least one package and, during this final step, the information contained in the storage means is transferred to said package; - After implementation of the last step, we proceed to washing and / or disinfection and / or drying of the receptacle, for reuse; - Said second step is optional, said portions then being deposited in the receptacle during the first step, then directly extracted from it during the final step.

 Another aspect of the invention relates to an installation for implementing the method in accordance with one or other of the characteristics listed above.

- au moins un poste de pesage et/ou de conditionnement et/ou d'expédition ; -au moins un réceptacle apte à recevoir une pièce de viande ou des portions provenant de celle-ci ; - des moyens de transfert dudit réceptacle dudit poste de séparation au poste de traitement et de ce poste au poste de pesage et/ou de conditionnement et/ou d'expédition. This installation is remarkable in that it includes: - possibly at least one station for separating the pieces of meat into as many sets of portions; - at least one station for processing portions of meat in order to modify its appearance and / or size;

- at least one weighing and / or packaging and / or shipping station; at least one receptacle capable of receiving a piece of meat or portions from it; - Means for transferring said receptacle from said separation station to the processing station and from this station to the weighing and / or packaging and / or shipping station.

 According to an advantageous embodiment, this installation comprises several separation, processing and weighing and / or packaging and / or shipping stations and several receptacles, and said transfer means comprise common portions able to be used by the minus part of the receptacles.

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 Finally, the invention also relates to a receptacle for implementing the method as described above.

 This receptacle is characterized by the fact that it comprises at least two compartments each capable of receiving at least one portion of the same piece of meat.

- la figure 6 est un schéma destiné à montrer comment on transfère les informations portées par une pièce de viande à un réceptacle, puis de ce réceptacle à des fractions de cette pièce de viande. Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will appear on reading the detailed description which follows of a preferred embodiment. This description will be made with reference to the appended drawings in which: - Figure 1 is a diagram intended to illustrate the organization and the general structure of an installation for processing pieces of meat, within which can be implemented the method according to the invention; - Figures 2,3 and 5 are diagrams showing more specifically certain parts of the installation of Figure 1; - Figure 4 is a schematic front view of a work station of the installation of Figure 1;

- Figure 6 is a diagram intended to show how the information carried by a piece of meat is transferred to a receptacle, then from this receptacle to fractions of this piece of meat.

 The description which will be given below relates to the processing of pieces of beef meat in an installation integrated into a slaughterhouse.

 It is understood that this description is valid for the treatment of other types of meat with, of course, the necessary and specific adaptations to these types of meat.

 We will begin by describing below, with reference to the appended figures, a typical installation for processing pieces of meat, for implementing the method according to the invention.

 In Figure 1 is shown the general structure of such an installation for processing pieces of beef.

 In a manner known per se, this installation includes a slaughter and storage area for dead and eviscerated animals. This area is not shown as such in Figure 1 and bears the reference numeral 1.

 The reference L identifies the route for moving the pieces of meat within the installation. It also symbolizes an aerial track to which the slaughtered animals are suspended, by means of a hook. Their direction of delivery is marked with arrows.

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 The installation also includes a series 2 of boning stations referenced 2A, 2B and 2C. Three positions have been represented here. Of course, in an embodiment not shown, this number of positions could be different, for example greater.

 For the implementation of boning, one can use the device described in French patent no. 87087890 filed by SOCOF.

 There may be provided, between area 1 and the boning stations 2A, 2B and 2C or immediately after these stations, a series of intermediate stations, within which the slaughtered animals are separated into several pieces of meat, namely four neighborhoods, or a greater number of pieces of less weight and size. In this case, each piece of meat is moved individually to stations 2.

 As an indication, such pieces can consist of ribs, rib eye, whole fillets, loins, hams, shoulders, squares.

 In Figure 2 attached, the pieces of meat to be boned are referenced C.

 A conveyor belt V with movable belt equips each station and makes it possible to evacuate the bones which are rid of the pieces of meat.

 The installation also includes a series of stations for separating the pieces of meat from the boning stations 2 into as many sets of portions. These stations are referenced 3A to 3D in FIG. 1. Only two of them 3A and 3B have been represented in FIG. 2. These stations are supplied with pieces of meat by the rolling track L.

 All of the stations 3 are bordered by an RI conveyor, for example with a moving belt. It receives empty and clean receptacles on which we will return later and moves them to stations 3.

 For this purpose, the conveyor RI is bordered by a series of secondary conveyors R2 which serve each station. Means of known type, for example push-button allow laterally to move some of the receptacles 7 in place on the conveyor RI to one or the other of the conveyors R2.

 Continuing with the conveyor RI is provided a conveyor R3 which feeds into receptacles a series of stations for processing portions of meat in order to modify their appearance or size.

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 In Figure 1, these positions are divided into two groups 4 and 5 and referenced 4A to 4D and 5A to 5D. Only stations 4A, 4B, 5A and 5B are visible in Figure 3.

 Within stations 4, for example, the fat contained on the meat portions is removed.

 At station 5, the peeling and finishing of the portions from stations 4 are carried out, for example.

 As shown more particularly in FIG. 3, the conveyor R3 borders a series of conveyors R4, each supplying a station 4 and a station 5.

 The end of the conveyors R4 opposite the conveyors R3 is bordered by a new conveyor referenced Rs, on which the receptacles 7 from the stations 4 and 5 are received.

 It is possible to provide elevator systems D capable of transferring the receptacles of the conveyors Rt onto the conveyor Rs, when the latter is located at a different level.

 Finally, the installation comprises a series of stations 6 for weighing and / or packaging and / or shipping the portions of meat. These stations are referenced 6A to 6D in FIG. 1. Only two of these stations are visible in FIG. 5. Each comprises a conveyor R6 on which the receptacles received from the conveyor Rs are received and a conveyor R7 on which the receptacles are partially deposited emptied of their content and intended to be sent to another station 6, or completely emptied and intended to be cleaned and / or disinfected with a view to their subsequent re-use.

 The entire route of movement of the receptacles within the installation has been identified in FIG. 1 by a line in dashed lines, when this is not common with the movement of the pieces or portions of meat .

 Prior to the implementation of the method according to the invention, it is possible to proceed, as said above, to boning the pieces of meat from the slaughter and storage area 1.

 These operations are carried out at stations 2 and the parts are then transferred to stations 3, for example by channel L.

 It is at this level of the installation that the first step of the method according to the invention is carried out.

 It will be assumed below that the pieces of meat arriving at stations 3 are constituted by a quarter of an animal. Such a neighborhood is referenced X in FIG. 6.

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 Preferably, the quarter bears a label 8 on which are printed information relating in particular to the slaughtered animal from which the quarter originates and, possibly additional information such as the identification of the breeder and that of the client for whom the meat contained in this neighborhood.

 This information can be written in plain text on the label or printed in the form of a barcode.

 In another embodiment, the label can be affixed near the piece of meat. In an additional variant, the information is printed on the surface of the part or on any other medium.

 Assuming that the four quarters X from the same animal are treated in the same installation, then each quarter bears a label with at least similar information.

 At stations 3, each of the pieces X is separated into as many sets Y of portions. Thus, for example, the quarter X represented in FIG. 6 is separated into portions referenced Yi, Y2 and Y3. These portions constitute a set which comes from a single district.

 Of course, depending on the nature and the mass of the part X, the number of portions which constitute each set may be different.

 This separation operation is therefore carried out at each of the stations 3A, 3B, etc. by P3 operators who have been assigned this task.

 At these stations, the operators P3 deposit the portions they have taken from the piece of meat in a determined receptacle 7.

 An example of such a receptacle is shown in FIG. 4. It is a device for example made of solid or perforated stainless steel or any other material approved in the field of the food-processing industries.

 It has a flat base 70 from which a column 71 rises vertically. To this column are attached a set of horizontal compartments 72 to 75.

 The compartments described above consist here of trays.

However, in another embodiment, they could be trays or containers of suitable shapes, with the possibility of being connected together.

 One can also provide that each of the compartments are individually separable from the entire receptacle.

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 As can be seen in FIG. 4, the receptacle rests on a conveyor R. This general reference indicates that the conveyor has a structure common to all of the conveyors RI to R7.

 It is equipped with means not shown capable of allowing the movement of the receptacles that it receives. These means are for example of the chain, cleat, belt, mesh type, etc.

 In a different embodiment, this conveyor could be replaced by a device for moving the receptacles of the aerial type, by which each of the receptacles being suspended therefrom.

 As specified above, the operators P3 deposit the portions from a single piece of meat in a receptacle 7.

 The installation includes computer resources which are not shown, which allow the general circulation of conveyors to specific positions to be adequately managed.

 Within the stations 3, the information S is positioned on the label 8 of the district X, by appropriate computer means referenced 9 in FIG. 6.

 This information is then transferred to storage means 8 ′ carried by the receptacle 7. These storage means 8 ′ consist, for example, of an electronic chip with microprocessor. We can take advantage of this transfer of information to include at the level of the chip 8 'additional information relating for example to the identity of the operator P3 and the time and date at which he carried out his work on the district X.

 The 8 'chip is not necessarily physically carried by the receptacle, but can be associated with the latter by any other means known to those skilled in the art.

 At this level can be communicated to the chip 8 'additional information in the chip 8' which consist for example of the precise identification of the subsequent stations to which the receptacle will have to be routed.

 This movement is made via the conveyor R3.

 At this level, the conveyor is equipped with stops B capable of selectively retaining the receptacles and of moving them laterally towards one or the other of the conveyors R4 which serve the stations 4 and 5.

 The receptacles 7 which arrive at the level of the stations 4 are then stopped in turn by suitable means.

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A step of processing at least part of the portions of meat YI to Y3 contained in the receptacle is then implemented. It consists for example of degreasing at least part of the portions. To do this, the portions are extracted from the receptacle, treated, and then replaced in the receptacle 7, which is sent to the next station 5.

 If necessary, the chip 8 ′ which equips each of the receptacles is responsible for additional information, residing for example in the time and date of intervention of the operators P4.

 In the installation presented here, a third step of processing the portions is carried out at the stations 5. This step, implemented by Ps operators, consists, for example, of peeling and improving the finishing of the portions. The portions thus treated are referenced Zl to Z3 in FIG. 6.

 At the outlet of stations 5, the receptacles are then taken up by the conveyor Rs and are sent to one or more weighing and / or packaging and / or shipping station (s) 6. Here again, the computer system of the installation will manage the routing of each receptacle and choose station 6 to which it will be routed.

 At this level, P6 operators take each piece of meat and weigh and / or condition it for shipment.

 If necessary, the operators P6 of a station pick up only part of the parts and direct the receptacle towards a second, then possibly a third station, for its complete emptying.

 Within stations 6, computer equipment 9 ′ (which may be the same as equipment 9) reads the information contained in the chip 8 ′ and transfers at least part of it, in plain text or in the form of a code with bars, on 8 "labels carried by the packaging of the pieces of meat ZI to Z3 to be shipped.

 The step implemented at the level of the stations is called "final", in the sense that the pieces of meat are extracted from the receptacle one last time and are no longer put back there. However, one cannot exclude the variant embodiment according to which the final step comprises subsequent operations, for example splitting of the pieces before packaging.

 The content of each label is then referenced S'or S ".

 At the exit of stations 6, the empty receptacles are conveyed to a washing and / or disinfection and / or drying installation, not shown. At this stage, the information contained in the chip is erased so as to allow subsequent reuse.

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 Ultimately, each piece of meat that will be shipped out of the facility, we will be able to easily determine its "history", since all the pieces of meat from the same piece have never been separated but, on the contrary, routed within the same receptacle.

 In the description which has just been made, it has been considered that all the steps of the method are implemented in one and the same room.

Of course, it can be quite different. Each step can, in fact, be carried out in a specific room and then the receptacle moved, for the purpose of the subsequent operation, in a different room.

Claims (14)

1. Method for processing a series of pieces of meat (X), which comprises: - a first step of separating said pieces (X) into as many sets of portions (YI, Y2, Y3);

 - At least a second step of processing at least a portion of said portions (YI, Y2, Y3) of each set, with a view to modifying the appearance and / or the size thereof; - a final weighing and / or packaging and / or shipping step, each of these steps being carried out at different work stations (3,4, 5,6), characterized in that it consists , during the first step, depositing the portions (YI, Y2, Y3) coming from the same part in a determined receptacle (7), then moving said receptacle (7) to the successive workstations (4,5 , 6), said portions (Y), Y2, Y3) being at each station removed from the receptacle, treated then returned to the receptacle (7), so that in the final step,

 the products (ZI, Z2, Z3) to be weighed and / or packaged and / or shipped, extracted from a specific receptacle (7), all come from a single piece of meat (X).  2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that, prior to the first step, one proceeds to the boning of said pieces of meat (X).  3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said second treatment step consists in degreasing at least part of said portions (YI, Y2, Y3).  4. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that it comprises a third step of peeling and finishing at least part of said portions (YI, Y2, Y3).  5. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that each piece of meat (X) is associated with a series of information (S), and that this information is directly carried by said piece or arranged in the immediate vicinity of it.  6. Method according to claim 5, characterized in that said series of information (S) is positioned on a label (8) carried by said part <Desc / Clms Page number 13>  meat (X), and by the fact that said information (S) is printed in plain text or in the form of a bar code.  7. Method according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that one uses a receptacle (7) which carries storage means (8 ') of information and that, during the implementation of the first step , those carried by said part (X) or disposed in the immediate vicinity thereof are transferred to the storage means (8 ').  8. Method according to claim 7, characterized in that said storage means (8 ') are of the microprocessor type.  9. The method of claim 7 or 8, wherein the final step comprises packaging said parts in at least one package, characterized in that, during this final step, the information contained in the storage means is transferred ( 8 ') on said packaging.  10. Method according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, after implementation of the last step, washing and / or disinfection and / or drying of the receptacle (7) is carried out, view of reuse.  11. Method according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that said second step is optional, said portions (Y;, Y2, Y3) then being deposited in the receptacle (7) during the first step, then directly extracted from it during the final stage.  12. Installation for implementing the method according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that it comprises: - optionally at least one separation station (3) for the parts

 meat (X) in as many sets of portions (Yl, Y2, Y3); - at least one processing station (4, 5) of meat portions (Yi, Y2, Y3) in order to modify the appearance and / or the size; - at least one weighing (6) and / or packaging and / or shipping station; at least one receptacle (7) capable of receiving a piece of meat or portions from it; - Transfer means (R) of said receptacle from said separation station (3) to the processing station (4,5) and from this station to the weighing and / or packaging and / or shipping station (6).  13. Installation according to claim 12, which comprises several separation (3), processing (4,5) and weighing and / or packaging and / or shipping (6) stations and several receptacles (7), characterized by the fact that said <Desc / Clms Page number 14>  transfer means (R) comprise common portions able to be used by at least part of the receptacles.  14. Receptacle for implementing the method according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that it comprises at least two compartments (72 to 75), each capable of receiving at least one portion (ZI, Z2 , Z3) of the same piece of meat (X).