Abstract: A meat flaking machine for reducing a block of meat to meat flakes, which includes a lower housing containing a power driven cutting drum for cutting the meat block into flakes. An upper housing includes a charging chamber communicating with the lower housing and having a vertical entrance opening. The block of meat is placed on a loading tray, which is pivotally connected to the upper housing, and is transferred through the entrance into the charging chamber by pivoting the loading tray upwardly until it extends along the opening. A pressure plate, mounted within the upper housing, is moved manually by an external handle into contact with the upper end of the meat block to press it downwardly onto the cutting drum. A mechanical interlock ensures that the loading tray cannot load a meat block into the charging chamber unless the pressure plate has been moved to a position out of the way of the block.