Meat and Poultry Equipment Key Terms

Understand the uses of meat and poultry equipment to ensure proper use

There are various types of meat and poultry equipment throughout the preparation process. From a lung vacuum to meat grinders, each piece of equipment has a specific function that must be used in accordance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards as well as Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations. Understanding meat and poultry equipment key terms is necessary for everyone in the industry.

 

Stunning knife

A stunning knife is used to introduce an electric current into the neck of the bird. Once this is done for about 10 seconds, the blade is used to slice the bird's neck.
Try: The Food and Agriculture Organization website offers information about the entire process of poultry processing, including the use of stunning knives.

Lung vacuum

A lung vacuum is a piece of equipment that is used to remove the lungs and kidneys from a bird once it has been slaughtered.
Try: The Occupational Safety & Health Administration provides information about lung vacuums.

Conveyor oven

A conveyor oven, also called an impingement oven, is an oven that cooks foods that move through the oven on a conveyor belt. This type of oven is used primarily in food processing centers and pizza or sandwich restaurants.
Try: You can find information about conveyor ovens on BigTray. This website provides information to help you choose the best conveyor oven for your needs.

Pressing truck

A pressing truck presses the meat or poultry cuts until they are the same thickness all the way across. This process helps get rid of air pockets, extending the shelf life of the meat or poultry.
Try: Beacon explains how a pressing truck works.

Portioner

A portioner separates the meat or poultry into portion sizes and sorts is based on the cut of meat. It helps improve the efficiency of the packaging process.
Try: A portioner is explained on the Marlen website.

Meat grinders

A meat grinder is a piece of meat and poultry equipment that is used to make ground meat. This piece of equipment can be used to grind up just about any food, including meat, eggs, sausage filling and nuts.
Try: Fantes provides information about meat grinders, including various uses for the grinders.

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