Method for controlling a slicing machine and slicing machine

A method for operating a slicing machine for slicing at least one product caliber into slices, comprising:

• feeding, by a feeding unit of the slicing machine, the at least one product caliber along a feed direction to a slicing unit of the slicing machine;
• slicing, by the slicing unit, the at least one product caliber into slices;
• and
• discharging, by at least one valve of a spraying device of the slicing machine, a spraying agent towards the at least one product caliber and/or onto at least one of the sliced slices, wherein the discharging of the spraying agent is caused by an opening signal which is sent from a control unit of the slicing machine to the spraying device;
• wherein the method further comprises sending a pre-opening signal, by the control unit, to the spraying device, which is sent before the opening signal, and wherein the pre-opening signal itself does not yet cause any discharge of spraying agent by the spraying device.