System and method for allowing a quality check of sausage-shaped products

The present invention concerns a system for allowing a quality check of sausage shaped products, like sausages. The system comprises a filling tube for feeding filling material, like sausage meat, in a feeding direction (F) into a tubular packing casing provided on the filling tube and closed at the front end by a closure means, like a closure clip, a clipping machine (10) having a displacer unit (12, 14, 16, 18) with at least two pairs of displacer elements (12, 14, 16, 18) for gathering the filled tubular packing casing and for providing a plait-like portion which is at least approximately free from filling material, a clipping unit for applying two closure means to the plait-like portion of the tubular packing casing, a first closure means for closing an actually filled tubular packing casing for forming a sausage-shaped product to be produced presently, and a second closure means for closing the front end of the tubular packing casing provided on the filling tube and forming the following sausage-shaped product to be produced next. The system further comprises a feeding unit (30; 130) for feeding flexible suspension elements (S), like loops, to the clipping unit for being attached to the sausage-shaped product by means of the first or second closure means, wherein the feeding unit (30; 130) includes a positioning device (32; 132) for positioning the flexible suspension element (S) to be attached to the sausage-shaped product, and a transportation unit (20; 120) for transporting the sausage-shaped product out of the clipping machine (10) to a storing device. The system comprises a discharge device (60; 160) for by-passing the transportation unit (20; 120) by at least one of the sausage-shaped products and for discharging the by-passed sausage-shaped product out of the clipping machine.