Abstract: A cutting unit for a comminuting machine, particularly for meat. The cutting unit includes a perforated disk and a drivable cutting knife body with cutting edges which interact with the perforated disk. The cutting knife body has additional cutting edges which extend approximately in radial direction. The additional cutting edges interact with approximately radially extending counter-cutting edges of the machine housing. The additional cutting edges may be provided in the form of grooves on the free ends of arms of a star-shaped cutting knife body. The counter-cutting edges may be provided on a housing ring which can be easily replaced and repaired. The additional cutting edges and the counter-cutting edges do not contact each other. The cutting edges preferably extend parallel to each other and are located on an imaginary outer truncated cone-shaped generated surface of the cutting knife body and an inner truncated cone-shaped surface of the machine housing.