Method and apparatus for meat scanning

1. A method for inspecting and controlling properties of a food material comprising:

providing a first stream of the food material and a second stream of the food material;

mixing the first stream and the second stream;

scanning the mixed food material with x-rays at two energy levels using a x-ray analysis unit;

producing an array of values representative of the intensities of the x-rays at two energy levels;

processing the array of values; and

determining at least one property of the food material; and

controlling at least one of the first stream and the second stream in response to determination of the property.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of determining includes determining the chemical lean value of the food material.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the food material comprises meat.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the meat is chosen from the group consisting of beef, chicken, pork, lamb, deer, turkey, game bird, fish, crustacean and mixtures thereof.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of providing includes pumping the food material.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining step includes determining the level of foreign contaminants within the food material.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising the step of rejecting mixed food material having at least a predetermined level of contaminants.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of blending the food material after the step of scanning the mixed food material.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the x-ray analysis unit comprises a single dual energy x-ray detector module.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of measuring physical properties of the food material stream taken from the group consisting of velocity, weight, temperature, and combinations thereof.

11. An apparatus for inspecting a food material comprising:

a grinder adapted to receive food material from first and second sources;

a blender for blending the food material;

an x-ray analysis unit having a dual energy x-ray and a substantially tubular passage which is in communication with the grinder and the blender, and

a controller for adjusting the ratio of the first and second sources of food material received by the grinder.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to analyze information from the x-ray analysis unit to derive a property of the food material.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the food material comprises meat.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising a valve between the x-ray analysis unit and the blender for diverting food material away from the blender to a rejected product area.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising a device for moving the food material within the apparatus.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the moving device includes a vacuum pump.

17. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the x-ray analysis unit further comprises a video display unit.

18. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the x-ray analysis unit comprises a single dual energy x-ray detector module.

19. A system for controlling the lean value of meat comprising:

a grinder adapted to receive a supply of lean meat and supply of fat meat;

a blender for blending the meat;

an x-ray analysis unit in communication with the grinder and the blender via a substantially tubular passage;

a controller for controlling the relative ratio of fat meat to lean meat sent to the grinder.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the chemical lean value of the meat in the x-ray analysis unit and to change the relative amount of fat meat to lean meat sent to the grinder based upon a predetermined target chemical lean value.