BUTCHERING; MEAT TREATMENT; PROCESSING POULTRY OR FISH

Description

Class A22 covers mechanical and industrial processes for the slaughter, dressing, and butchering of meat animals, including equipment for cutting, deboning, and portioning carcasses. It encompasses treatment methods for meat preservation and processing, such as chilling, freezing, and curing, as well as specialized machinery for processing poultry and fish from live animal to finished product. The class includes apparatus for removing offal, cleaning, and preparing meat for further culinary or industrial use, but excludes food preparation for immediate consumption (covered under A47) and general food preservation techniques not specific to meat processing.

Filing statistics

IPC A22 recorded 45,496 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023, summed across its 2 subclasses. Annual filings grew from 2,046 in 2013 to 5,844 in 2023 (+186%), peaking at 5,888 applications in 2020. The most active applicants in class A22 are NORDISCHER MASCHINENBAU RUD. BAADER & COMPANY (499 applications), MEYN FOOD PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY (372 applications) and MAYEKAWA MANUFACTURING COMPANY (282 applications).

Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings