Fuente: WIPO "meat" Cooked meat in units having uniform cross section and quality is prepared by arranging meat in a trough, evacuating the trough and compressing the meat therein into a unit of the desired cross section, sliding the unit of meat bodily into a container of the desired cross section while maintaining vacuum and compression, and cooling and cooling the meat while maintaining compression thereon. A container is used comprising a tubular body containing two slidable plugs between which the meat is confined, and a spring maintaining pressure on the meat, and a meat press to fill the containers comprising an evacuable trough in which the meat is arranged, and oppositely acting rams of unequal force operative to compress the meat in the trough and slide it bodily from the trough into the container.