Animal Products Machinery

Meat Grinder (Mincers)

Schematic drawing of grinder Manual grinder

Grinder as table model Grinder as floor model

Meat grinder (Mincer)

A meat grinder is a machine used to force meat or meat trimmings by means of a feeding worm (auger) under pressure through a horizontally mounted cylinder (barrel). At the end of the barrel there is a cutting system consisting of star-shaped knives rotating with the feeding worm and stationary perforated discs (grinding plates). The perforations of the grinding plates normally range from 1 to 13mm. The meat is compressed by the rotating feeding auger, pushed through the cutting system and extrudes through the holes in the grinding plates after being cut by the revolving star knives.

Simple equipment has only one star knife and grinder plate, but normally a series of plates and rotary knives is used. The degree of mincing is determined by the size of the holes in the last grinding plate. If frozen meat and meat rich in connective tissue is to be minced to small particles, it should be minced first through a coarse disc followed by a second operation to the desired size.

Brine injector

Multi-needle injector, schematic

a - Main brine supply pipe, b - Brine

distribution pipe, c - Injection needle,

d - Meat piece to be injected, e - Sliding

needle holder, f - Excess brine collection

pan

This equipment serves for the injection of brine into meat. Brine is water containing dissolved salt and curing substances (nitrite) as well as additives such as phosphates, spices, sugar, carrageenan and/or soy proteins (see page 179). The injection is done by introducing pointed needles into the muscle tissue. Brine injection is mainly used for the various types of ham, bacon and other whole muscle products.

Brine injectors are available in different sizes from manually operated single-needle devices (Fig. 43, 44) for small-scale operations to...