An improved machine for separating meat from meat feed material having a substantial content of sinews or sinew-like material and being essentially free of bone particles larger than bone slivers, and wherein such a meat feed material is fed into one end of a foraminous cylinder in which an auger rotates at relatively high speed and fluidized meat separated from sinews, sinew-like material and bone slivers extrudes through the foramina while sinews, sinew-like material and bone slivers when present exit through a restricted discharge orifice, the improvement residing in a strip of flexible non-abrasive material being mounted on the crest of the auger flite so as to engage the interior of the foraminous cylinder and cut, and thereby free sinews or the like that may be lodged or trapped in the foramina.