To provide a preprocessing method comprising filling and shaping masses of raw material meat, preventing wrap-around of foam and leakage of seasoning liquid caused when carrying out shaping operation of the mass of meat charged in a cylindrical casing before a smoking processing in a production of ham, bacon and the like; and to provide a preprocessor comprising filling and shaping mass of raw material meat.

The preprocessing method comprising filling and shaping of mass of raw material meat comprises the following process: disposing a receiving plate 7 having a shallow tub-like recessed groove 7a on which a cylindrical casing C charged with the mass of seasoning liquid-injected raw material meat M and having extremely small holes at its peripheral surface, and an upper lid 8 covering the upper surface of the receiving plate 7 and having U-shaped grooves 8a; preparing a vacuum shaping chamber 10 through forming an air suction hole 9 communicating to a vacuum pump device outside at a shaping chamber where the mass of raw material meat M charged in the cylindrical casing C are shaped into a cylindrical shape with the receiving plate and the upper lid 8; sucking and filling the mass of raw material meat M from a raw material supply hopper into the cylindrical casing C having small holes from a charging device 3 while discharging the air in the vacuum shaping chamber for reducing the pressure of the air; and sealing and shaping the mass of the raw material meat into a cylindrical shape under reduced pressure.