TOMRA Sorting Food presented a detector for the chicken woody breast condition at IPPE (International Production & Processing Expo), where it received a lot of interest. The Expo was held in Atlanta, Georgia, January 31 to February 2.

Utilizing the established QVision analyzer technology, TOMRA has expanded the range of applications for its offering in the meat market and is now able to detect chicken woody breast, a myopathy of hard or ‘woody’ texture found in some chicken breast muscles. The condition is not harmful to humans, but it makes the chicken breast unpleasant to eat, giving it a tough and chewy character.

The unique and reliable solution uses multispectral lights to allow high speed analysis of the chicken fillets. The dedicated software allows the QVision to accurately grade chicken fillets into multiple grades, determined by the customer. Typically, these grades range from no presence of woody breast to a mild or even severe presence of the condition.

Thorsten Niermeyer, Business Unit Manager Process Analytics at TOMRA Sorting Food, says: “Our in-line equipment is able to measure the chemical composition of each fillet and determine the respective grade. This grading information is vital for processors to decide the use of the chicken fillets for further processing.”

Previously, processors had to do a ‘thumb check’ and manually review each chicken fillet before processing. With TOMRA’s new in-line analyzer, these manual checks will no longer be needed. The QVision is an established, in-line analyzer for fat, protein, moisture and collagen in the meat and seafood industry.

TOMRA’s QVision allows meat and seafood processors to guarantee a consistent product quality, increase profitability and simplify daily operation.

For more information, visit www.tomra.com/poultry.