An apparatus for gripping food products such as bacon, cheese or cooked meat in a slicing machine, together with methods of operation thereof. The gripper apparatus comprises hooks for gripping one end of the food product. During slicing, the slicing machine cuts slices from the other end of the food product. Two sets of hooks are present and each set of hooks is moveable between a retracted inoperative position and an extended product-gripping position, independently of the other set. The second set of hooks, when in their extended position, projects for a distance greater than the first set of hooks. Both sets of hooks occupy their extended positions during initial stages of slicing and the second set of hooks is withdrawn to their retracted position during a final stage of slicing so that more of the remaining end of the product can be sliced. The hooks of the first and second sets are curved and occupy parallel planes when in their extended positions, with the planes occupied by the first set of hooks being orthogonal to the planes occupied by the second set of hooks.