Grinding and Mincing

A sharp knife shears material cleanly against a flat plate. Worn parts, poor assembly, excessive clearance or overfeeding crush and smear rather than cut.

Cold lean and firm fat retain definition. Friction and warm equipment soften fat, promote smearing and increase microbial growth during extended processing.

Coarse grinding may precede fine grinding, while some products combine diced and ground material. The plate sequence should produce the intended structure without unnecessary repeat handling.

Grinding exposes internal surfaces and can spread contamination through the batch and equipment. Disassembly, cleaning, sanitation and control of retained meat in the head are essential.

Check particle definition, product temperature, throughput and equipment condition. A nominal plate size does not guarantee the same result when raw material and machinery differ.