SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SEPARATING BREAST FROM POULTRY CARCASS

1 . A carcass separation blade configured to separate a first breast muscle from at least one of wish bone, a rib bone, and a fan bone on a first side of a poultry carcass as the poultry carcass moves past the carcass separation blade, comprising:

a body having a first end opposite a second end, wherein at least a portion of the body between the first and second ends is shaped to substantially correspond to a shape of a portion of the first side of the poultry carcass;

a curved upstream edge extending between at least a portion of the first and second ends of the body; and

a shearing edge portion defined along at least a portion of the curved upstream edge.

2 . The carcass separation blade of claim 1 , wherein an upper portion of the body extending from the second end toward the first end of the body is shaped to substantially correspond to the shape of the portion of the first side of the poultry carcass.

3 . The carcass separation blade of claim 2 , wherein the curved upstream edge extends along the upper portion of the body to define a carcass-engaging tip at the second end of the body.

4 . The carcass separation blade of claim 2 , wherein the shearing edge portion is defined along the curved upstream edge on the upper portion of the body.

5 . The carcass separation blade of claim 1 , wherein the shearing edge portion is defined by a tapered edge portion of the curved upstream edge.

6 . The carcass separation blade of claim 5 , wherein the tapered edge portion defines a shearing edge that is sufficiently sharp to penetrate tissue of the poultry carcass but sufficiently dull to substantially prevent the shearing edge from cutting the tissue of the poultry carcass.