Method for cutting a loaf-shaped food using a cutting machine

A method for cutting a loaf-shaped food, comprising the steps of:

• advancing a food loaf toward a cut off knife by a feed apparatus, the feed apparatus including a vacuum gripper, and the advancing of the food loaf including advancing the vacuum gripper;
• cutting the food loaf into slices, strips or cubes by the cut off knife;
• fixing the food loaf to the vacuum gripper during the advancing of the food loaf, wherein the fixing of the food loaf comprises generating a first negative pressure with a first negative pressure generator and a second negative pressure with a second negative pressure generator within an interior of a contact element of the vacuum gripper,
• wherein the fixing of the food load further comprises loading of a fixing region of a surface of the food loaf by applying the first negative pressure and the second negative pressure from a suction region of the contact element,
• wherein the suction region is divided into at least two separate, sealed partial suction regions and the interior of the contact element is divided accordingly into at least two separate, sealed partial interiors that communicate, respectively, with the at least two separate, sealed partial suction regions,
• wherein the at least two separate, sealed partial suction regions respectively adjoin one another, are separated and sealed from one another by a contact member of the contact element and form separate, sealed partial fixing regions of the surface of the food loaf, and
• wherein the loading of the fixing region comprises applying the first negative pressure to one of the at least two separate, sealed partial suction regions and applying the second negative pressure to another of the at least two separate, sealed partial suction regions.