How Fanchi-tech Helped a Beef Jerky Manufacturer Improve Food Safety and Reduce Product Recalls with a High-Sensitivity Conveyor Metal Detector
Category: Food Metal Detection Case Study
Industry: Meat Snacks / Dried Meat Processing
Application: Vacuum-Packed Beef Jerky
Machine: Fanchi-tech Conveyor Metal Detector
Introduction
Metal contamination remains one of the most significant food safety risks in meat snack manufacturing. Products such as vacuum-packed beef jerky undergo multiple mechanical processing stages, including grinding, slicing, tumbling, drying, vacuum packaging, and conveying. At every stage, worn equipment components can introduce metallic contaminants into finished products.
For manufacturers exporting to the United States, Canada, Australia, Europe, Japan, and the Middle East, compliance with HACCP, BRCGS, IFS, SQF, and retailer-specific food safety standards requires 100% inline inspection of finished products.
This case study explains how Shanghai Fanchi-tech Machinery Co., Ltd. helped a leading beef jerky producer upgrade its final quality control process by installing a high-sensitivity conveyor metal detector.
Customer Profile
The customer is a large-scale meat snack manufacturer supplying private-label and branded beef jerky products to major supermarket chains and convenience stores.
Main Products
- Original Beef Jerky
- Spicy Beef Jerky
- Black Pepper Beef Jerky
- Teriyaki Beef Jerky
- BBQ Beef Jerky
- High-Protein Beef Snacks
Packaging Type
- Vacuum pouch
- PE laminated bags
- PA/PE vacuum bags
- Printed retail bags
Package Weight
- 50 g
- 80 g
- 100 g
- 150 g
- 250 g
- 500 g
All products are compatible with the inspection window and conveyor dimensions of the Fanchi-tech system.
Production Process
The production line follows a continuous process:
Raw Beef Receiving
↓
Trimming
↓
Marinating
↓
Tumbling
↓
Drying
↓
Cooling
↓
Vacuum Packaging
↓
Date Coding
↓
Fanchi-tech Conveyor Metal Detector
↓
Cartoning
↓
Case Packing
↓
Palletizing
By positioning the metal detector after vacuum packaging, the customer ensures that every finished retail package is inspected before shipment.
Customer Challenges
During a routine food safety audit, the customer identified several critical risks:
Risk 1 – Metal Fragments from Processing Equipment
The slicing machine and conveyor systems showed signs of mechanical wear. Small ferrous particles and stainless-steel fragments could potentially enter the product stream.
Risk 2 – Increasing Retailer Requirements
Major retail customers required documented proof of 100% finished-product inspection, along with automatic reject verification and inspection records for traceability.
Risk 3 – False Rejects
The existing detector frequently rejected acceptable products due to unstable sensitivity, resulting in unnecessary production interruptions and product waste.
Risk 4 – Production Downtime
Frequent manual adjustments during product changes reduced production efficiency and increased labor costs.
Why Fanchi-tech Was Selected
After evaluating several suppliers, the customer selected Fanchi-tech based on four key factors:
- High sensitivity for packaged meat products
- Stable performance in dry, low-moisture applications
- User-friendly touchscreen interface with recipe management
- Reliable automatic reject system suitable for continuous production
Machine Configuration
The installed conveyor metal detector features:
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Product Type | Vacuum-Packed Beef Jerky |
| Inspection Mode | Inline Conveyor Inspection |
| Construction | SUS304 Stainless Steel |
| Approximate Tunnel Size | 300 mm (W) × 120 mm (H) |
| Conveyor Belt | Food-grade PVC Belt |
| Reject Method | Automatic Pusher Reject |
| Product Memory | Multiple Recipes |
| HMI | Color Touchscreen |
| Protection Level | Suitable for food processing environments |
Metal Contamination Risk Assessment
During engineering discussions, Fanchi-tech identified several common contamination sources in beef jerky production:
| Production Stage | Potential Metal Hazard |
|---|---|
| Meat Slicing | Broken blades |
| Tumbling | Mixer wear particles |
| Conveyor Transfer | Loose fasteners |
| Vacuum Packaging | Machine component wear |
| Maintenance | Tools or screws left on the line |
The inspection system was configured to detect these contaminants before products entered secondary packaging.
Installation and Commissioning
The conveyor metal detector was installed directly after the vacuum packaging machine.
The engineering team completed:
- Mechanical installation
- Conveyor alignment
- Electrical integration
- Sensitivity calibration
- Reject timing adjustment
- Product recipe setup
- Operator training
The production line resumed operation with minimal downtime.
Validation Testing
To verify system performance, calibrated metal test pieces were passed through representative products.
The detector successfully identified:
- Ferrous contaminants
- Non-ferrous contaminants
- Stainless-steel contaminants
Automatic rejection was activated for every detected sample, while compliant products continued through the production line without interruption.
Actual detection sensitivity depends on product size, packaging material, moisture content, conveyor speed, and installation conditions.
Operational Improvements
After several months of operation, the customer reported:
- More stable inspection performance
- Reduced false rejects
- Improved food safety compliance
- Simplified operator training
- Faster product changeovers
- Lower maintenance workload
- Better production continuity
- Enhanced retailer confidence during audits
The integrated inspection process also improved production efficiency by reducing manual intervention and ensuring consistent product flow.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the machine inspect vacuum-packed meat products?
Yes. It is designed for inline inspection of packaged meat snacks such as beef jerky, dried meat strips, and similar products.
Can it detect stainless steel contamination?
Yes. Detection capability depends on contaminant size, orientation, product characteristics, packaging material, and operating conditions. Fanchi-tech performs sensitivity testing during commissioning to optimize performance.
Does vacuum packaging affect inspection?
Vacuum packaging itself does not prevent metal detection. The inspection parameters are configured according to the product and packaging characteristics.
Can the detector store multiple product settings?
Yes. Multiple product recipes can be saved, enabling quick changeovers between different package sizes and product varieties.
Is the machine compatible with HACCP and BRCGS requirements?
Yes. Inline metal detection supports HACCP-based food safety programs and helps manufacturers meet the inspection requirements commonly expected by BRCGS, IFS, SQF, and major retailers.
Why Choose Shanghai Fanchi-tech Machinery Co., Ltd.
Shanghai Fanchi-tech Machinery Co., Ltd. specializes in advanced food inspection solutions for manufacturers around the world. Our product range includes conveyor metal detectors, dynamic checkweighers, X-ray inspection systems, and customized inspection solutions for meat, bakery, dairy, confectionery, seafood, pet food, and convenience food industries.
Every solution is engineered to help manufacturers improve food safety, reduce contamination risks, optimize production efficiency, and comply with international quality standards.
Contact Us
Shanghai Fanchi-tech Machinery Co., Ltd.
Contact:Kerry
Email: kerry@fanchitech.net
Mobile / WhatsApp: +86 13917555254
Website: www.fanchitech.net
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@fanchitech3323?si=gyh-f9JCbjkJ3tEu
Post time: Jul-22-2026