Abstract: An automatic meat log cutter for cutting continuous extrusions of minced meat to logs of preselected length comprises a photocell located at a preselected distance from the discharge end of the extruder for sensing the arrival of the front end of the extrusion and in response thereto for triggering the operation of a solenoid-actuated air-cylinder for driving a music wire cutter transversely through the extrusion at a point immediately in front of the extruder and for simultaneously speeding up the travel speed of the conveyor to create a spaced distance between the rearward end of the log and the front end of the extrusion. For successive logs, the cutting stroke is alternately downward and upward.