How to Reduce Bone Fragment Content in Mechanically Recovered Meat

Bone fragment content in mechanically recovered meat is far easier and more reliable to control at the separator settings than to catch afterward through downstream inspection — by the time bone fragments reach a metal detector or x-ray stage, the batch is already compromised.

Perforation Size as the Primary Control

The perforation size in the drum or belt surface directly determines the maximum particle size that can pass through with the recovered meat — smaller perforations reduce the risk of larger bone fragments passing through, though at some cost to overall throughput and potentially recovery yield.

Separation Pressure and Its Trade-Off

●        Lower separation pressure reduces the force driving bone fragments through perforations alongside meat, lowering bone residue risk but also reducing how much meat is recovered from the frame

●        Higher pressure recovers more meat but increases the likelihood of fine bone material being forced through with it, particularly from frames with more fragile or brittle bone structure

Frame Preparation Before Separation

How thoroughly frames are pre-cleaned of larger bone fragments before entering the separator affects the finished bone residue level — frames entering with loose bone chips or fragments from upstream cutting stages contribute directly to the bone content in the final recovered meat, regardless of how well the separator itself is tuned.

Talk to Meatech About Your Bone Residue Target

Meatech's bone meat separator offers adjustable pressure and perforation configurations to hit a specific bone residue target for your product's requirements. Contact our team to review your current bone residue levels and recovery yield trade-off.