A device for separating individual sausages (12), which are separated from one another by twist points (15), at a cutting point (5), wherein a sensor (6) for detecting the twist point (15) is connected upstream of the cutting point (5), wherein, upstream of the cutting point (5), there is positioned at least one further sensor (7) which runs parallel to the sensor (6) and which is located closer to the cutting point (5) than the sensor (6), wherein the sensors (6, 7) each generate an infrared light shell.