Method and device for evisceration of slaughtered poultry

A device for eviscerating slaughtered poultry having a carcass with a viscera pack in a body cavity of the carcass, said body cavity having a breast side and a back side, and a vent end where the vent is or was located and a neck end, wherein the body cavity has been opened at the vent end, the device comprising:

• a retention assembly adapted to retain the carcass in an orientation with the neck end downwards;
• an eviscerating tool and an eviscerating tool drive, which are adapted to cause the eviscerating tool to enter the body cavity of the retained carcass via the opened vent end, said eviscerating tool having a front end, and to dip the eviscerating tool deeper into the body cavity with a front end thereof passing along the breast side of the body cavity so that the front end thereof moves past the viscera pack at least till beyond the liver;
• wherein the eviscerating tool drive is further adapted to withdraw the eviscerating tool and thereby lift the viscera pack out of the body cavity, and
• wherein the device further comprises a gizzard pre-lifting tool, distinct from the eviscerating tool, and a gizzard pre-lifting tool drive, which are adapted to cause the gizzard pre-lifting tool to enter into the body cavity of the retained carcass via the opened vent end, which gizzard pre-lifting tool is operable to grasp the gizzard and/or belly fat bonded to the gizzard and which gizzard pre-lifting tool is operable to lift the gizzard thereby entraining a further portion of the viscera pack including the liver, wherein said gizzard pre-lifting tool drive is adapted to cause said lifting of the gizzard to be performed prior to the front end of the eviscerating tool passing along the breast side of the body cavity past the liver as the eviscerating tool is dipped into the body cavity.