Frozen Chicken Breast Slab Shaping for High Utilization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for processing chicken breast meat result in low utilization rates for high-quality products, with only 62.5 to 75% of the meat being used for premium products, while the remainder is often used for lower profit margin items, leading to inefficiencies in food processing.
Innovation Solution
A method involving marinating and extruding chicken breast meat into a slab, freezing it, and then shaping it into specific configurations using a hydraulic and pneumatic shaper with a double cylinder arrangement to maximize the use of chicken breast meat, achieving up to 98% utilization for high-quality chicken breast portions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If traditional cutting methods are used to divide chicken breast into portions, then the processing is simple and quick, but the meat utilization rate is low (only 62.5% to 75%) with significant waste
Solution Approach 1:
The chicken breast is subjected to preliminary actions of marinating and extruding into a slab before freezing and shaping. This preliminary processing allows the meat to be prepared in advance, transformed into a workable form, and then precisely shaped into desired configurations, thereby maximizing utilization while maintaining operational simplicity through pre-preparation steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The physical state of the chicken breast is changed through freezing after extrusion, transforming it from a soft, pliable state to a firm, moldable frozen state. This parameter change enables precise shaping into various configurations (chicken breast portions, sandwiches, etc.) while maintaining the ability to process the entire breast with minimal waste.
2Productivity
If the chicken breast is cut symmetrically down the middle into traditional portions, then the cutting process is straightforward, but the yield for high-quality products is limited to around 50% for 30-40 ounce breasts
Solution Approach 1:
The breast is preliminarily extruded into a uniform slab and frozen before shaping. This preliminary form transformation creates a standardized, easily handled product that can be precisely shaped into various high-quality configurations, increasing yield from 50% to 98% while maintaining ease of manufacture through the use of a simple extrusion and freezing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The processing system uses dynamic shaping mechanisms that can adapt the frozen slab into various desired configurations (chicken breast portions, sandwiches, etc.) rather than being limited to fixed cutting patterns. This dynamic shaping capability maximizes yield by allowing flexible adaptation to different product requirements while maintaining ease of manufacture through automated shaping processes.
3Loss of substance
If the remaining breast meat is used for lower profit margin products like nuggets, then the overall meat utilization increases, but the profitability decreases due to lower margin products
Solution Approach 1:
The extruded and frozen slab can be shaped into multiple different high-quality product configurations (chicken breast portions, sandwiches, and other desired shapes) using the same basic processing system. This multi-functionality allows the entire breast to be utilized for high-margin products rather than requiring different processing lines for different product types, thereby maintaining both high utilization and high profitability.
Solution Approach 2:
By changing the physical state through freezing after extrusion, the meat transforms into a versatile medium that can be shaped into various high-quality products. This parameter change enables the same processing system to produce different high-margin products (portions, sandwiches, etc.) from the entire breast, maintaining profitability while achieving high overall utilization.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method significantly increases the percentage of chicken breast meat used for high-quality products, reducing waste and improving profitability by shaping the meat into desired configurations with minimal waste, such as chicken breast portions, breast sandwiches, or other forms, while maintaining product quality and consistency.
Implementation Method 1
A method involving marinating and extruding chicken breast meat into a slab, freezing it, and then shaping it into specific configurations using a hydraulic and pneumatic shaper
Implementation Method 2
A method involving marinating and extruding chicken breast meat into a slab, freezing it, and then shaping it into specific configurations using a hydraulic and pneumatic shaper
Implementation Method 3
A method involving marinating and extruding chicken breast meat into a slab, freezing it, and then shaping it into specific configurations
Implementation Method 4
A method involving marinating and extruding chicken breast meat into a slab
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for forming pressed food products can utilize up to 98% chicken breast meat in high profit margin products. Breast meat is marinated and then extruded into a slab which is then frozen and shaped into a plank. The plank is sliced into unit portions which are then pressed into shaped portions with a preferred, or other, press. One preferred press linearly reciprocates unit portions into the press. This or another preferred press imparts three dimension exterior shape to the pressed food products.