Machine and method for cleaning poultry offal

A method for cleaning poultry giblets, applied in a machine having an inlet gutter and an outlet gutter for the giblets, a first pre-cleaning roller and a second pre-cleaning roller both arranged under a guiding assembly that directs the giblets to a gripping and transporting conveyor chain for transporting the giblets from the pre-cleaning rollers to a pressing assembly, a cutting element and a washing assembly, wherein the method comprises the following steps:

• (a) feeding the giblets into the machine through the inlet gutter;
• (b) conducting the giblets through the pre-cleaning rollers to the guiding assembly;
• (c) conveying the giblets by movement of the gripping and transporting conveyor chain;
• (d) cutting the lower region of the giblets passing through the cutting element;
• (e) passing the giblets over the washing assembly and washing the newly opened lower region of these giblets;
• (f) gripping the giblets by the pressing assembly and separating the giblets from the gripping and transporting conveyor chain;
• (g) sliding the giblets throughout a giblet feeding gutter to a cleaning system installed transversely in the machine;
• (h) orthogonally moving the giblets in a first directing flow of giblets back and forth across a guiding region defined by the positioning of cleaning and guiding elements of a cleaning assembly of the cleaning system, while a second directing flow moves the giblets from a supply region provided by the giblet feeding gutter to the outlet gutter;
• (i) supplying the cleaned giblets through the outlet gutter;
• and
• (j) repeating steps (a) to (i) until the supply of giblets to be cleaned is interrupted.