WO2003032291A2

WO2003032291A2 - Method and device for performing automated, industrial analysis and/or classification of foodstuffs, and foodstuffs

Info

Publication number: WO2003032291A2
Application number: PCT/EP2002/011260
Authority: WO
Inventors: Hermann Hohenester; Günter KRÜGER
Original assignee: Hermann Hohenester; Krueger Guenter
Priority date: 2001-10-08
Filing date: 2002-10-08
Publication date: 2003-04-17
Also published as: AU2002333898A1; WO2003032291A3

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and device for performing automated, industrial analysis and/or classification of foodstuffs, for example, of meat or other foods. According to the invention, the foodstuffs are conveyed by at least one conveying device to a measuring section in which the foodstuffs, after at least partially eliminating gases and/or liquids that are foreign to the foodstuffs, are measured with regard to physical, biological and/or chemical properties. This enables a highly precise and rapid detection of, for example, contaminated foodstuffs and a subsequent sorting out thereof. Likewise, it is possible to precisely sort foodstuffs according to their constituents.

Description

Method and device for the automated, industrial examination and / or classification of foods and foods

The invention relates to a method and a device for automated, industrial examination and / or classification of foods. Likewise, the invention relates to foodstuffs or food fractions produced or obtained accordingly.

It is known from the prior art, for example, to manually sort meat into pieces of different histological consistency and thus quality. The inevitable fluctuations in quality within the individual meat quality levels mean that, on the one hand, legally prescribed guideline values for the fat content of the products can only be imprecisely predetermined and adhered to. On the other hand, such a manual sorting cannot ensure that undesirable substances and admixtures (risk material, pathogens, bacterial contamination, color changes) or those which endanger the health of the consumer can be recognized and separated in advance. Rather, these manipulations can increase the risk of contamination.

The conventional methods also have the disadvantage that examinations of the products are carried out only in the form of random samples, usually as samples from mixing plants, shortly before the end or at the end of the manufacturing process. Prevention in the sense of preventive consumer protection is therefore not possible in order to prevent the addition of unsuitable raw materials or due to contamination, pus, contamination or other undesirable or even dangerous components or Reduce risks caused by additives by detecting and sorting out the corresponding product pieces.

WO 97/26533 discloses determining the ratio of lean to fat portions in pieces of meat by means of microwave spectrometry. US Pat. No. 5,428,657 describes using Rayleigh and Compton scattering of X-rays to detect undesirable pieces of material in, for example, bone-free pork by type and location. Furthermore, it is known from WO 00/21376 to cut pieces of meat into cubes, to record them with optical recording devices and then to separate them.

It is an object of the present invention to improve the examination and classification in the industrial processing of foods, in particular meat and other foods, as far as possible with regard to accuracy and cost efficiency.

This object is achieved in the method and the device of the type mentioned at the outset by the features of claim 1 and claim 25, respectively. The task for foods or food components is also solved by the features of claim 48.

In the context of the present invention, the term “food” means foodstuffs or nutrients and foodstuffs and / or their constituents, such as, for example, connective tissue and / or mixtures containing connective tissue, and mixtures thereof. In the context of the invention, the term “food” is furthermore to be understood as a single food or a plurality of foods, which in the latter case are processed together. Furthermore, the term food not only includes food, but also animal feed. According to the invention, gases and / or liquids which are foreign to foodstuffs are withdrawn during the feeding and / or in the measuring section itself, so that they cannot influence the measuring process. These include, for example, gas bubbles or compartments or spatial sections filled with air or other gases or gas mixtures or liquids, which are enclosed in and / or distributed around the food. The gases and / or liquids mentioned could otherwise lead to measurement falsifications and thus to inaccurate results or classifications. In particular, it is advisable to partially or largely remove gaseous inclusions before the measurements in order, for example, to exclude the influence of the gas particles in ultrasound measurements and / or optical measurements, which could be shown, for example, in intensity losses, signal broadening or the like.

In particular, meat of various preparation and comminution stages, but also pourable or flowable foodstuffs can be considered as foodstuffs. These include, for example, cereal grains, rice, coffee, vegetable fruits (e.g. peas) or a mixture of, for example, bread, dough, yogurt or similar mixtures of different foods.

The foods preferably fill the measuring section, which is preferably designed as a measuring chamber, essentially completely, so that there is no space for the gases and / or liquids that are foreign to the food. The foodstuffs are preferably compressed (this can also be done by suction), with gas in particular being pressed outward from their interspaces in order to then preferably suck it off. The food also adheres better with such compression, so that a subsequent comminution process is facilitated. The compression or the pushing together of the food naturally depends on its consistency. As an alternative to a complete displacement of the gases and / or liquids mentioned by the foodstuffs, these substances can also be removed — for example sucked off or pumped out — in such a way that a vacuum to vacuum is present in the measuring section.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the gaseous inclusions, any non-food liquids, etc. are at least partially removed from the material to be measured before entering the measuring chamber. It makes sense here to remove these gases and / or liquids during the conveyance, that is to say on the conveying path, and to transport the foodstuffs into the measuring unit in this state.

Both the conveying device which compresses the food and thus displaces the gas or the liquids, and also the vacuum apparatuses mentioned, represent the means for at least partially removing gases and / or liquids which are foreign to foodstuffs according to the invention.

The measurements and analyzes can advantageously be based on all hitherto used, but also on new so-called in-line analysis methods. Examples of usable measurement and analysis methods are devices that use microwaves, X-rays, infrared light (for so-called fast near-infrared spectrometry (NIRS) and / or infrared spectrometry), ultrasound, magnetic resonance, electron Magnetic resonance or other suitable technology based. Electromagnetic waves are particularly suitable, and their reflection, transmission or transflexion can be measured. Inductive, conductive and capacitive measuring methods can also be used with advantage. Alternatively, other suitable physical, chemical and / or biochemical measurement and analysis methods can be used, which are used in the method according to the invention for analysis and for in-line scanning and thus in particular for control purposes. tion and segregation of unwanted product parts can be used.

According to the method according to the invention, the measuring unit or the in-line scanner works according to a continuously or discontinuously operating measurement and analysis technique with which the properties and / or the composition of the product stream or individual or several product fractions can be recorded, analyzed and evaluated.

In the case of a preferred measurement, the foodstuffs are preferably irradiated with light from the visible spectrum and / or the ultraviolet wavelength range (UV) - optionally also alone or additionally with infrared light (IR) - and the reflection spectrum is measured by means of at least one color sensor. For a more precise classification or examination, several color sensors with sensitivities in different wavelength ranges are preferably used, which are advantageously arranged in a measuring housing.

White light is preferably radiated onto the foodstuffs. Photodectors are advantageously used as color sensors, which are preceded by filters with transmission sensitivities, for example in the red, green or blue spectral range. The passband of the color filter can vary. In an advantageous variant, the passbands are in the blue, green or red wavelength range and span a range of 20-100 nm, for example. The measuring range is advantageously between 190 nm and 2400 nm and in a preferred embodiment between 400 nm and 700 nm. Wavelengths smaller than 400 nm are also possible (UV or near UV range). Such a sensor arrangement, which makes use of the reflection spectra evaluated with the aid of the color filter characteristic, can be used, for example, to precisely recognize types or tissue compositions of pieces of meat.

During the evaluation, the recorded entire spectrum can be correlated with the individual sensor characteristics in order to obtain a partial spectrum from the entire spectrum for each of the color sensors. On the basis of these partial spectra or individual curve profiles, more precise statements can be made about the differentiability of the individual food components. If three color sensors are used, three individual spectral ranges can be used to determine the components.

Preferably, each sensor integrally senses the signal intensity in its respective spectral range, i.e. the area under the trace of each color sensor. The differentiation of the different food components is best if the components have their own spectral characteristics in each measured spectral range. However, the differentiability in a single spectral range can also be sufficient for a reliable determination.

In addition to the area measurements mentioned, further criteria for determining certain constituents of the foodstuffs to be examined can be set up on the basis of the total spectrum recorded. These include in particular local minima or maxima in the course of the function if the measured intensity is plotted against the wavelength. Furthermore, the course of part or all of the standardized spectrum curve can be characteristic.

Under certain circumstances, more precise results can be achieved if very narrow-band filters are used in those spectral ranges in which the components to be examined show intensities that differ relatively widely from one another. This can include relative extremes (minima and / or maxima in the reflection spectra). In this way it is possible - under certain circumstances even with a single filter - to precisely differentiate components without major computational effort. It is therefore not necessary to measure the entire reflection spectrum in each case; it may be sufficient to measure one or more small sections. If the measurement of reflection spectra is mentioned in the context of the present representation, this also includes the measurement of only parts or sections of these spectra.

When measuring the reflection spectra, the foodstuffs to be examined are preferably pressed directly against a glass surface made of quartz or another material, behind which the light source and the color sensors are arranged. In this way, undesirable or disruptive influences of light refraction on ambient gases or liquids, absorption or the like can be avoided. turn off.

The spatial resolution in the measurements is expediently chosen to be large, e.g. also to record small accumulations of risk material. It is advisable to adapt the speed of the flow of food through the measuring section to the measuring conditions accordingly. If the foodstuffs have to remain in the measuring section for a certain time, for example a few seconds, they can also be conveyed quasi-continuously, i.e. with a short break.

The measurements of the reflection spectra are advantageously combined with ultrasound measurements or conductive or inductive measurements in order to be able to compensate for any inaccuracies in the respective other measurement method or to expand the measurement options. Conductive or resistance measurements or inductive measurements can advantageously be used to infer moisture distributions, moisture concentrations, etc., in particular water, in the food. The measuring unit can be designed in such a way that it can be moved back and forth above or below the material to be measured, for example in the form of a portal, in order in this way to scan or measure the foodstuffs which are then expediently stationary or also moving. Alternatively, the measuring unit is stationary and the food is conveyed continuously or discontinuously.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the measurements are not carried out on the complete product stream, but only on a part branched off from this main stream. These so-called bypass measurements are used less for sorting individual food components, but rather for an approximate and preferably continuous determination of percentages in the food batches, for example fat and lean meat in the batches.

The at least one conveying device preferably takes over both the transport of this expediently relatively small portion of food to the measuring section and the conveyance of the main flow. For example, a screw conveyor, which leads the main product stream past the branch, can push some of the food into this side arm up to the measuring section. If it is necessary that the material to be measured must remain stationary for a certain time during the measurement, one or more valves can be arranged in front of the measuring section.

It is also possible for the conveying device to convey the foodstuffs into a mixing section, for example a mixing chamber, from which the partial product stream to be measured is branched off, for example by means of a suction piston, into a separate measuring section. In this case, the suction piston is part of the conveying device, and the measuring section can also be arranged in the region of the piston. The measured part of the food can be returned to the main part of the food in the same or a different way. In an alternative embodiment, the measuring unit can also be arranged directly on a housing of a mixing system, a bypass chamber or a comminution device, for example a cutter, in order to radiate light onto the foodstuffs therein and to measure their reflection spectra. For this purpose, the housing or container wall of the mixing plant or the comminution device preferably has a glass window made of quartz or another suitable material through which the incident and preferably also the reflected light rays pass. The glass window can also be arranged in the bottom of the container. The container can be rotatable. Alternatively or additionally, the mixing or cutting tools rotate in the container.

For an analysis of the measured values for the purpose of the proportional allocation of the foodstuffs to certain qualities or categories, the measured values - if appropriate after suitable signal or data processing, in particular analog-to-digital conversion - are preferably obtained from a computer using suitable algorithms with reference values compared, which were previously stored in an electronic memory. For example, measured values, which were measured in measurements of individual meat or food components by means of UV, visible and / or IR light, are compared with target values which determine the transmission, reflection and / or transflexion of a meat fraction with a predetermined proportion of a certain histological component (e.g. nerve tissue). The computer can then give an actuator the command based on the detected deviations, for example to eject contaminated material after the measuring section via an ejection opening. Normal or unproblematic material can be continued on the normal funding route. In this way, undesired product fractions can be separated out specifically and safely with the help of separation units - such as the ejection opening mentioned. Accordingly, it is an advantage of the invention that, for example, larger pieces of meat can be largely, quickly, precisely, inexpensively and continuously examined for undesirable additions and risk material even before mechanical and automatic comminution, without previously separating them into smaller pieces, as before. The risk of contamination with unwanted meat and food components can thus be reduced or avoided entirely from the start of production to the end of the processing of the food raw materials. The safety of production and food is therefore much better and easier to guarantee from the start than before.

In a special variant of the invention, the means for removing the non-food gases and / or liquids are also used to separate out undesirable additives or components of the food. For example, pus-shaped inclusions can be broken up and extracted by compressing meat.

The at least one conveying device, which preferably conveys the food continuously, is expediently adapted to the special requirements. For example, a screw conveyor can be used for this. Alternatively or additionally, a vacuum conveyor is used. It is also advantageous to use a pump device which is designed, for example, as a vane cell delivery device. This can be used individually or in combination with at least one other suitable conveyor, for example a vacuum conveyor. The list of funding agencies mentioned is not exhaustive. Any other suitable conveying device for transporting the product in the direction of the measuring section can also be used, for example a vibrating device or a conveyor belt. In an independent partial aspect of the invention, the product parts, in particular meat, emerging from a conveying device are guided in such a defined manner that they are cut into large slices on the end face continuously or quasi-continuously, exactly and largely without damaging the material, at low pressure loads. For this purpose, the product parts can preferably be conveyed through a rectangular or gate-shaped opening of a final shaping disc of a meat grinder, an extruder or a pump and are cut transversely into slices before or after the opening. Following this, the panes are preferably deposited flat as far as possible in one layer. The slices can then be measured further, for example by measuring their reflection spectrum.

The cutting tool of the disc cutter particularly preferably moves in a horizontal plane, with the food being fed in from above. The slice thickness is preferably predefined by a horizontally extending limit arranged downstream of the slitter cutter at a defined vertical distance, against which the batch of material or the strand of material comes to rest. The distance between the cutting tool and said boundary surface defines the disk thickness and at the same time prevents the pressing material strand or product stream from falling apart without guidance.

By means of this arrangement, the cutting process can be carried out precisely even with a very wide product flow and, moreover, largely avoided that the product strand twists during cutting or parts of the product mixture are shifted or swirled.

The disc cutter according to the invention can have single-edged or double-edged knives or saw blades. It can also be a single-edged or double-sided oscillating knife or

Saw blade be trained. A cutting edge on both sides has the partly that a quasi-continuous cutting of the product stream is possible. Further advantageous configurations include a cutting wire, a rotating band knife or band saw knife, a liquid jet cutting unit, a CO ₂ jet cutting unit, an ultrasonic cutting unit and / or a laser beam cutting unit.

Larger panes can be produced continuously or quasi-continuously with the aforementioned method than with previous technology, in particular with a thickness in the range from 2 mm to 100 mm. Gradations of the slice thicknesses in the range of about 0.5 mm are possible.

One or more sorts are preferably carried out in different parallel and / or successive production steps. The method according to the invention and the device according to the invention can in each case be used, if appropriate with suitable modifications according to the respective size and / or consistency and / or composition of the foodstuffs of the individual production stages. Accordingly, one or more predetermined physical, chemical and / or biochemical variables are preferably measured, analyzed and advantageously sorted out or assigned in different production levels in order to obtain the desired end fractions.

In the case of meat to be processed, this can be done, for example, in that after the slices have been cut in further process stages, the pieces of meat that have been ejected and, if necessary, shredded are conditioned in a flow-freezer (i.e. isolated) and a vertical channel, a channel, a conveyor belt or one are fed to other conveying devices which pass through the pieces of meat one after the other or are conveyed by them. During this stage, at least one measured variable of the pieces of meat is advantageously measured and the command is given to a sorting device - for example a blow-out nozzle - via a control unit if the value is exceeded or not reached of a threshold value to remove the corresponding pieces of meat from the guiding device, for example to blow them out.

If the meat is cut into cubes, these can be optically sighted on a belt or in free fall or flight in channels or tubes and sorted into a lean and / or fat fraction and a remaining mixed fraction according to predetermined parameters. The mixed fraction can then be further separated into a fraction with almost exclusively lean meat particles and a second fraction with almost exclusively fat particles as well as separately separated hard connective tissue particles and / or risk material particles. The optical measurements mentioned can be carried out after gas or liquid withdrawal or without such a previous step.

The mixing fractions just mentioned can advantageously be further separated into largely pure lean meat pellets and fat pellets as well as possibly smaller connective tissue particles in an additional sieve press process step. At the same time, larger pieces of connective tissue are advantageously removed before the subsequent sorting step and the remaining pieces of meat are optically or gravimetrically, i.e. by gravity screening, sorted into a first fraction with almost exclusively lean meat pellets and a second fraction with almost exclusively fat pellets, and possibly into a third fraction with risk material. In this process stage, too, an in-line scanning according to the invention (gas and / or liquid withdrawal before measurement) or in a known manner (for example according to WO 00/21376) for the purpose of setting the recipes can advantageously be followed by one or more sorting devices ,

In a further additional process step, the fatty tissue and / or connective tissue particles sorted out in the previous process steps can be broken down into a fraction consisting essentially of proteins (with possible fat portions) and a fraction consisting essentially of fat (with possible protein portions) are separated. The proteins are contained, for example, in the connective tissue or in muscle cells and / or are cell proteins. After optional mechanical fine grinding, a predominantly protein phase, a predominantly fat phase and optionally a third aqueous phase can be obtained, for example, by processing or disintegrating in aqueous, fatty, fat-soluble and / or fat-dissolving volatile media. The proteins contained therein can advantageously be obtained from the aqueous phase by means of precipitation.

Separation in fat-soluble volatile media, such as supercritical carbon dioxide or propane, possibly under pressure, is possible by removing the fat phase dissolved in these media. In this way, fat or unwanted substances similar to fat (e.g. cholesterol, triglycerides) can be removed. Protein fractions remain, which moreover advantageously do not need to be frozen due to the low temperatures generated by the carbon dioxide, if used. When processed in aqueous and greasy / oily media, the fat dispersed therein and the protein fraction can be centrifuged or decanted. If the pieces of meat essentially contain fat, the use of oil as a dispersing agent, for example, is also an option in order to achieve better separation at low temperatures. A creamy, fat dispersion (corresponding to a very fine comminution of the fat) is created in the oil, which can then also be centrifuged or decanted.

According to the invention, the above-described aspects of the invention and the associated special embodiments can be combined to form a number of successive process stages, so that, for example, the slice-like products mentioned after being cut in a cube cutter or the particles already cut in the meat grinder are optically viewed and hereinafter mixed fraction learn a further sorting from this sorting. This can be done by means of a screen press device and subsequent optical or gravity sorting, as well as a subsequent fat separation in a volatile solvent.

Advantageous developments of the invention are characterized by the features of the subclaims.

Exemplary embodiments relating to the method according to the invention and the device according to the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the drawings. Show it:

Figure 1 is a schematic representation of a first embodiment according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a schematic representation of a second embodiment with a disk cutter, which is preceded by a measuring section;

Figure 3 is a schematic representation of a third embodiment with an alternative disk cutter and also upstream measuring section;

Figure 4 is a schematic representation of a fourth embodiment with a measuring section downstream of the disk cutter;

FIG. 5 shows a schematic representation of a fifth embodiment with a measuring section in which acoustic and optical measurements are carried out, and Figure 6 is a schematic representation of a mixing plant with a parallel measuring chamber for bypass measurements.

A device according to the invention is shown schematically in FIG. Via a filling funnel 1, foodstuffs N (indicated by the arrow along the transport path of the foodstuffs) are fed into a conveyor device 2a, which in the present case is designed as a screw conveyor 2a. The screw conveyor 2a is connected via a ventilation line 3 to a vacuum pump 4, which degasses the transport space of the screw conveyor 2a. The foodstuffs N are thus conveyed with a negative pressure into a measuring section 7a, which in the present case is designed as a measuring chamber 7a. The foodstuffs N are measured in the measuring chamber 7a, for example, by means of a combined optical and conductive measuring method. Other measuring methods - e.g. Acoustic measurements, measurements with X-rays, inductive measurements etc. - are possible. It is essential here that the gases and / or liquids that are foreign to the food are removed before the measurements, since otherwise the measurement results could be falsified and / or the signals could be weakened. As a result of the removal of the gases and / or liquids according to the invention, there is a negative pressure in the measuring section, which can extend to a vacuum, or the food completely fills the measuring section - preferably a measuring chamber.

The food N can be compressed and compressed with the appropriate consistency by means of the conveyor 2a so that gaseous and / or liquid inclusions foreign to the food can be conveyed to the outside and pumped out by the vacuum pump 4. In this case, both the conveying device 2a and the vacuum pump 4 represent the means for at least partially removing gases and / or liquids that are foreign to foodstuffs according to the invention. According to the embodiment in FIG. 2, which likewise has a filling funnel 1, a conveying device 2a and a vacuum pump 4, the food N falls at the end of the conveying path into a shaft 6, in which a measuring section 7b with a measuring unit 10 is provided. According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the measuring unit 10 is designed as a risk material scanner and comprises an ultrasound transmitter 8 and an ultrasound receiver 9, which detects the ultrasound waves reflected or scattered by the foods N. A plurality of ultrasound transmitters 8 and a plurality of ultrasound receivers 9 can also be provided, the assignment and arrangement of which can also differ from the arrangement shown only schematically in FIG. The measurement signals - possibly after signal amplification (not shown) - are passed on from the receiver 9 to a computer 11, in which the signals from the receiver 9 are analyzed and compared with reference values which were previously stored in the computer 11. These reference values preferably represent different risk materials and / or the foods to be measured. If the measurement signal within a predetermined range matches a reference value for a risk material or if the measurement signal of a range falls below or exceeds a reference value for the foodstuffs, the computer 11 issues a control command to a sorting or separating unit 12a - for example a blow-out device - which then separates the risk material from the product stream (indicated by arrow 13).

If the food is N pieces of meat, e.g. Pieces of meat with egg inclusions or other undesirable constituents are ejected by the separating unit 12a in accordance with their histological nature, their particle size or other criteria.

Between the measuring unit 10 and the separating unit 12a and following the separating unit 12a, a conveyor 2b or 2c is arranged (indicated as an impeller), each of which ensures a continuous or quasi-continuous product flow. If that If the material to be measured has to remain in the measuring section for a certain time, the conveyance is interrupted for this short period (quasi-continuous conveyance).

The main product flow of the foods N is conveyed by means of the conveying device 2c to a downstream shaping device 15, which in the embodiment shown schematically forms the food strand through a rectangular, gate-shaped opening 16 into a strand with a width of, for example, 5-50 mm. Downstream of the opening 16 is a disk cutter 17a with a horizontally arranged cutting knife 18a which rotates about a vertical axis 19 (see arrow). The disk cutter 17ε cuts the product stream into slices or strips.

The embodiment according to FIG. 3 largely corresponds to that of FIG. 2. One difference is that not only the interior of the screw conveyor 2, but also the shaft section is vacuumed shortly before the measuring section 7b. This is indicated by the line 3b, which also goes from the vacuum pump 4. It is also possible that a second vacuum pump is used for this. It is also possible that only the shaft section 6 and / or the measuring section 7b are sucked directly, i.e. in this case not the transport space of the screw conveyor 2.

Another difference can be found in the design of the disk cutter 17b. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, this has a horizontally oscillating cutting knife 18b with a cutting edge on both sides (see double arrow). In order to achieve a substantially constant cutting height and to prevent twisting or the like of the material during the cutting process, a boundary surface 20 is provided below the cutting knife 18b, against which the material to be cut comes to rest before cutting. Following the cutting process, the Material block or the disc Ns in the direction of arrow 22 transported away from a conveyor belt 21.

FIG. 4 shows an embodiment in which the measurements follow a comminution process - here again a disk cutting process - after gases and / or liquids that are foreign to foodstuffs have been removed or drawn off beforehand. In this case, no measuring unit is arranged between the screw conveyor 2a or the shaft 6 and the disk cutter 17b (although there may also be one). The slices Ns falling on the conveyor belt 21 are conveyed by the latter to a measuring section 7c in which they are measured with regard to physical, biological and / or chemical properties. Downstream of the measuring section 7c is a separating unit 12b, which - as in FIGS. 2 and 3 - receives a control command from the computer 11 when disks Ns for separating are recognized (see arrow 13).

FIG. 5 shows a special measuring method in which ultrasound measurements are combined with optical reflection measurements. Before this, the transport path of a screw conveyor 2a is again sucked in before the foodstuffs N are transported into a measuring section 7d, which is divided into two successive subsections 7d ', 7d " Section.

Four ultrasound transmitters 8a are arranged in the first, upstream subsection 7d ', each ultrasound receiver 9a being assigned to each transmitter 8a. The ultrasonic waves emitted by the transmitters 8a are scattered or reflected on the food and received by the receivers 9a (see dashed arrows). The measurement signals allow conclusions to be drawn about the composition of the food, local quality differences, risk materials, etc. Arranged in the downstream subsection 7d "is a light source 8b which, for example, emits white light onto the food N. The light reflected from the food N (see dashed arrows) reaches three color sensors 9b, the respective spectral sensitivity of which is in blue, green or red Wavelength range.

The foodstuffs N are subsequently transported to the measuring unit 10 by an expulsion unit or conveying device for further processing. The measurement signals of the two measurement subunits are in turn evaluated by a computer (not shown here) in order to control any setting processes for comminuting and / or separating and / or sorting food components.

FIG. 6 schematically shows a mixing system 30 which is fed via a feed line 33, which in turn is fed with foodstuffs Ni and N ₂ from feed lines 31 and 32, respectively. The conveyors for requesting food Ni and N ₂ are not shown in detail. In the mixing system 30, the foodstuffs Ni, N _{2 are} mixed with a stirrer 34 (or a paddle, a spiral or the like), the stirrer 34 being shown only schematically. A secondary line 35 branches off from the mixing chamber to a measuring chamber 7e, food N being transported or sucked from the mixing chamber to this measuring chamber 7e by means of a suction piston 2e (direction of movement indicated by a double arrow) and measured there. The measuring chamber 7e can be suctioned. Gases and / or liquids that are foreign to food can also be removed in the mixing system 30 or in the feed lines 31, 32 or 33 or beforehand.

The measuring unit, the computer and the setting units are not shown separately in FIG. 6. After measurement, the foodstuffs are fed back to the main product stream (see arrow 38), which can be regulated with an optional control valve 37. Lines leading to a separate measuring chamber for carrying out bypass measurements can also branch off from a conveyor line for a main product stream.

In an alternative (not shown), the housing of the mixing chamber can have a glass window, through which light is in particular irradiated and the reflected light beams are measured in order to record the reflection spectra mentioned.

Claims

Patent claims

1. A method for the automated, industrial examination and / or classification of foods, for example meat or other foods, the foods being conveyed by at least one conveyor device to a measuring section in which the foods after at least partial removal of non-food gases and / or Liquids are measured with regard to physical, biological and / or chemical properties.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the food is compressed in the measuring section or fed to the measuring section in compressed form.

3. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the foodstuffs are measured in a measuring section designed as a measuring chamber, the foodstuffs essentially completely filling the measuring chamber.

4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the non-food gases and / or liquids are at least partially removed from the material to be measured before entering the measuring chamber.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that gaseous inclusions in the food are removed before the measurements.

Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the measurements are carried out according to one or more of the following principles: by means of electromagnetic waves (Microwaves, X-rays, infrared light, visible light, UV light), in particular fractal spectrometry, magnetic resonance, electron magnetic resonance, ultrasound, optoelectronic, inductive, capacitive, chemical, biochemical.

7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that measurements of at least part of the reflection spectrum of the foodstuffs are carried out with the aid of one or more color sensors with different spectral sensitivities.

8. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the measurements are carried out integrally and spatially resolved.

9. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that reflection spectra measurements are combined with ultrasound measurements or conductive or inductive measurements.

10. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the moisture content of the food is determined by means of conductive, inductive or resistance measurements.

11. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a portion of the food is branched off from the product stream and is conveyed to the at least one measuring section (bypass measurements).

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that the measured food parts are fed back to the main product stream.

13. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the measurement results are automatically compared by means of a computer with reference values stored in an electronic memory.

14. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the foods are assigned to certain qualities in a proportionate manner according to predetermined criteria when analyzing the measured value results.

15. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that food fractions or admixtures, which were recognized in the measurement and analysis for rejection, are rejected from the rest of the product stream by at least one appropriately controlled rejection unit.

16. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the measurements are carried out continuously or discontinuously.

17. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the conveying to and / or from the at least one measuring section is carried out by means of one or more of the following conveying devices: screw conveyors, conveying in a vacuum

Conveyor, pump conveyor, vane cell conveyor, suction device, vibrator, conveyor belt.

18. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the food is conveyed substantially continuously to the measuring section.

19. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the food or food portions are crushed and / or conditioned and / or sorted into smaller pieces at least once in one or more process levels before or after passing through the at least one measuring section.

20. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the foods are mixed with other foods before and / or after passing through the measuring section.

21. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that meat or meat portions, which are obtained by grinding one or more times, in a high-fat fraction, a low-fat fraction and / or a mixed fraction and in a connective tissue-rich fraction with possible lean meat - And / or fat proportions are sorted.

22. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that fat and fat-like substances (for example. Triglycerides, cholesterol) are separated from the various fractions contained in meat by means of volatile solvents (for example. Propane, supercritical carbon dioxide).

23. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that sorted pieces of meat by fine grinding in fluid dispersants essentially separated into a protein fraction and a fat fraction and then further separated in centrifuges or decanters and / or separation by means of volatile solvents.

24. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the following foods are measured: meat and / or fuelable and / or flowable foods (eg rice, cereal grains, coffee beans, legumes) and / or mixtures of various foods.

25. Device for the automated, industrial examination and / or classification of foods (N), for example meat or other foods, in particular for carrying out the method according to one of the preceding claims, with at least one conveyor device (2a; 2b; 2c; 2d; 2e) , at least one measuring section (7a;

7b; 7c; 7d; 7e), at least one measuring unit (10) arranged in the measuring section for measuring the food (N) with regard to physical, biological and / or chemical properties as well as means (4; 2a) for at least partially removing gases and / or liquids which are foreign to food Measurement.

26. The apparatus according to claim 25, characterized in that the at least one measuring unit (10) is arranged in the conveyor path or at the end of the conveyor path of the conveyor device (2a; 2b; 2c; 2d; 2e).

27. The apparatus according to claim 25 or 26, characterized in that the means (4; 2a) for removing gases and / or liquids in the conveying path and / or in the measuring section (7a; 7b; 7c; 7d; 7e) are arranged.

28. Device according to one of claims 25 to 27, characterized by a mixing system (30) into which various foods (Ni, N ₂ ) are conveyed and mixed there.

29. Device according to one of claims 25 to 28, characterized in that the measuring unit (10) outside the main product flow of the food (N) or outside the mixing system (30) according to claim 28 is arranged, and that part of the food (N) can be branched off to the at least one measuring unit (10) (bypass measurements).

30. Device according to one of claims 25 to 29, characterized in that at least one of the measuring units (10) is designed for measurement according to at least one of the following principles: measurement by means of electromagnetic waves (microwaves, X-rays, infrared light, visible light, UV) -Light), especially fractal spectrometry, magnetic resonance, electron magnetic resonance, ultrasound, optoelectronic, inductive, capacitive, chemical, biochemical.

31. Device according to one of claims 25 to 30, characterized in that the measuring unit (10) comprises at least one light source (8b) for emitting light and at least one color sensor (9b) for measuring at least part of the reflection spectrum of the food (N) ,

32. Apparatus according to claim 31, characterized in that at least three color sensors are provided, the spectral sensitivity of which is essentially in the blue, green or red wavelength range.

33. Apparatus according to claim 31 or 32, characterized in that the color sensors are provided with color filters with a narrow-band pass band.

34. Device according to one of claims 31 to 33, characterized in that the measuring range is between 190 nm and 2400 nm.

35. Device according to one of claims 31 to 34, characterized in that the measuring range is between 400 nm and 700 nm.

36. Device according to one of claims 25 to 35, characterized in that the measuring unit (10) comprises at least one ultrasonic transmitter (8a) and at least one ultrasonic receiver (9a).

37. Device according to one of claims 25 to 36, characterized by an analysis unit (11) for evaluating the measurement results, in particular for computer-aided comparison of the measurement results with reference values.

38. Device according to one of claims 25 to 37, characterized in that the conveying device (2a; 2b; 2c; 2d; 2e) a screw conveyor (2a), a conveying device conveying in a vacuum, a pump conveying device, a vane cell conveying device, a suction device (2e) and / or a vibrating device.

39. Device according to one of claims 25 to 38, characterized in that at least one comminuting device (17a; 17b) is connected upstream or downstream of the measuring unit (10), or in that the measuring unit is placed in the interior of a comminuting and / or mixing device. is.

40. Device according to one of claims 25 to 39, characterized in that the comminution device (17a; 17b) a slice cutter (17a; 17b), a cube cutter, a pelletizer, a meat grinder, an extruder, a frozen meat cutter, one

Hard separator and / or a soft separator comprises.

41. Device according to one of claims 25 to 40, characterized in that the conveying device (2a; 2b; 2c; 2d; 2e) is followed by at least one shaping disc (15) with at least one opening (16), the food ( N) before or after the opening (16) by a disk cutter (17a).

42. Device according to one of claims 25 to 41, characterized in that a disc cutter (17a; 17b) which can be loaded with foodstuffs, slices the foodstuffs (N), preferably meat, fed to it in a substantially horizontal cutting plane can cut.

43. Device according to one of claims 25 to 42, characterized in that the disk cutter (17a; 17b) has at least one of the following elements: single-edged or double-sided knife or saw knife, single-edged or double-sided oscillating knife or saw knife, Cutting wire, revolving band knife or band saw knife, liquid jet cutting unit, CO2 jet cutting unit, ultrasonic cutting unit, laser beam cutting unit.

44. Device according to one of claims 25 to 43, characterized by at least one separating unit (12a; 12b), which is arranged downstream of the at least one measuring section (7a; 7b; 7c; 7d; 7e), for separating during measurement and analysis Separation of recognized food components or additives.

45. Apparatus according to claim 44, characterized in that the means for removing non-food gases and / or liquids are also used to separate out food portions or additives recognized for removal.

46. Device according to one of claims 25 to 45, characterized by at least one conditioning device for the shredded pieces and at least one sorting device for sorting the shredded pieces

Pieces.

47. Apparatus according to claim 46, characterized in that the sorting device is designed to be controllable on the basis of the analysis results.

48. Food or food ingredient, characterized in that it is obtained by means of a method and / or by means of a device according to one of the preceding claims.