Plant and method for the treatment of whole muscle meat

A method for the treatment of whole muscle meat implemented in a plant for the treatment of whole muscle meat including a brine injection apparatus integrating:

• a conveyor device for conveying a whole muscle meat defining a conveying direction, and a conveying surface on which said whole muscle meat is to be placed;
• three successive injector heads, in the conveying direction, each provided with a plurality of injector needles parallel to one another and orthogonal to said conveying surface, wherein each injector head is movable in a direction orthogonal to the conveying surface between an injection position and a standby position, and wherein each of said needles is hollow and is connected to a pressurized brine supply device;
• and wherein said plant also integrates at least one massage application apparatus including a rotary drum suitable for being loaded with the whole muscle meat after it has gone through the injection apparatus;
• wherein said method includes the following steps:
• loading pieces of whole muscle meat on an inlet end of said conveying surface;
• conveying, in the conveying direction, the whole muscle meat by means of the independent operation of at least two segments of the conveying device, the conveying surface of each of said segments facing one of said two linked injector heads, locating and stopping all the parts of said whole muscle meat successively in three stop positions, each located below one of the three injector heads constituting the plurality of injector heads, at least part of the operation of each of the segments occurring in alternating periods;
• operating each injector head facing each stop position from the standby position to the injection position in coordination with the conveyor device, causing the insertion of its corresponding injector needles into a whole muscle meat located and stopped below said injector head;
• operating the pressurized brine supply device connected to the injector needles of each injector head in coordination with the operation of said injector heads, causing the injection of the brine into the whole muscle meat;
• operating each of the injector heads from the injection position to the standby position in coordination with the conveyor device, causing the removal of its corresponding injector needles from the whole muscle meat;
• coordinate the operation of two injector heads to cause the insertion of their respective injector needles into the whole muscle meat at alternating times, said two injector heads constituting linked heads,
• supplying brine to said linked heads at alternating times;
• independently operate at least two segments of the conveying device positioning the conveying surface of each of segment facing one of said two linked injector and at least part of the operation of each of the segments occurring in alternating periods;
• introducing, after the last injection, the whole muscle meat in a massage application apparatus provided with a rotary drum with a maximum inner diameter of between 140 and 210 cm together with brine;
• turning the rotary drum at a speed of between 14 and 20 revolutions per minute, causing each piece of whole muscle meat to fall successively, causing the massage thereof and additional brine absorption;
• such that the brine injection occurring in the injection apparatus and the turning occurring in the massage application apparatus allow increasing the weight of the whole muscle meat, with respect to the initial weight before it goes through the plant, by up to more than 220%.

A brine injection apparatus for a plant for treatment of whole muscle meat integrating a conveyor device of whole muscle meat defining a conveying direction, and a conveying surface on which said whole muscle meat is to be placed;

• three injector heads successive in the conveying direction, each provided with a plurality of injector needles parallel to one another and orthogonal to said conveying surface, wherein each injector head is movable in a direction orthogonal to the conveying surface between an injection position and a standby position away from the conveying surface, and wherein each of said injector needles is hollow and is connected to a pressurized brine supply device;
• and
• one injector head, constituting a stand-alone injector head, is connected to a first pressurized brine supply device, being independent from the remaining injector heads which constitute two linked injector heads which reach the injection position at alternating times;
• the conveyor device has at least two segments that can be independently operated, the conveying surface of each of said segments facing one of said two linked injector heads.