A sausage processing apparatus, including a circulating compartmented belt, a downstream compartmented roller, wherein a sausage is transferred from a compartment of the belt into a compartment of the roller, and a second circulating transport device, onto which the sausages are transferred from the compartments of the roller. A control device controls the conveying operation of the second transport device and of the roller. A sensor device detects the occupancy of the compartments of the belt. The control device controls the conveying operation of the roller and the second transport device dependent on the detection result of the sensor device such that, upon detection of one or more successive unoccupied compartments of the belt, the conveying operation of the roller and of the second transport device is stopped or slowed when the unoccupied compartment is in or is entering a transfer position and, upon detection of an occupied compartment, the conveying operation is resumed when the occupied compartment is in or is entering the transfer position.
