Fanchi-tech FA-MD Plate Chain Metal Detector: Ultimate Contamination Control for Packaged Meat & Poultry Products

For global meat processing enterprises, packaged fresh meat, frozen meat cuts, marinated steaks, poultry portions and prepared meat products face severe food safety risks from metal fragments generated during cutting, grinding, boning and packaging. Even micro metal debris can lead to costly recalls, retail contract termination and irreversible brand damage.

EuroMeat Group, a leading meat processor supplying premium packaged meat products to EU supermarkets, catering chains and food service providers across 22 European countries, has adopted Shanghai Fanchi-tech Machinery Co., Ltd.’s FA-MD Plate Chain Metal Detector as the core quality barrier for all its automated meat packaging lines. After 8 months of stable 24/7 operation, this specialized plate chain metal detection system has eliminated metal contamination risks, reduced false rejects to an industry-low level, and helped EuroMeat maintain full compliance with EU 1029/2009, BRC Grade A, IFS Food and USDA food safety standards.

The Challenge: Metal Detection Pain Points in Meat Processing Lines

EuroMeat Group produces over 70,000 units of packaged meat products daily, including fresh pork cuts, frozen beef steaks, marinated chicken fillets, vacuum-packed meat rolls and portioned lamb chops—all transported and inspected in rigid plastic trays, vacuum pouches and flow-wrap packages. Its traditional belt-type metal detectors repeatedly failed to adapt to the unique characteristics of meat products, resulting in continuous operational and safety troubles:

Severe product effect interference: High moisture, protein, salt and fat content in raw and frozen meat create strong electromagnetic interference, causing old detectors to generate massive false rejects and waste high-value meat products.
Unstable conveying for meat products: Standard smooth belts could not grip heavy, wet, slippery meat packages firmly, leading to slipping, tipping, stacking and line jams on inclined or flat conveying sections, severely reducing production efficiency.
Poor sanitation and durability: Traditional belt detectors were difficult to clean, with fabric belts prone to absorbing blood, grease and meat residues, creating bacterial growth risks and failing strict meat processing hygiene audits.
Insufficient sensitivity and compatibility: The old equipment could not stably detect tiny metal fragments (0.8mm–1.2mm) from cutting blades, grinding machines and bone saws, while its structure was not designed for heavy, high-load meat production environments.

In early 2025, a 1.0mm stainless steel splinter from a cutting blade was found in a vacuum-packed beef steak, triggering a regional recall that cost EuroMeat over €56,000 in direct losses, plus huge expenses for brand remediation and audit rectification.

“Meat products are heavy, wet, slippery and full of natural interference—ordinary metal detectors simply cannot balance sensitivity, stability and hygiene,” said Frank Müller, Operations & Quality Director of EuroMeat Group. “We needed a heavy-duty metal detector with a professional plate chain conveyor, built exclusively for packaged meat and poultry processing lines. That is how we found Fanchi-tech’s plate chain metal detection system.”

The Solution: Fanchi-tech FA-MD Plate Chain Metal Detector for Meat Industry

After testing equipment from 7 global suppliers, EuroMeat Group officially installed 6 sets of Fanchi-tech FA-MD Plate Chain Metal Detectors on its six high-speed meat packaging lines. As shown in our factory assembly photos, this machine features a full 304 stainless steel heavy-duty frame, integrated plate chain conveyor, adjustable warning light, touch-screen control system, movable casters with fixed foot cups, and IP65 waterproof construction—all engineered specifically for the harsh, high-hygiene requirements of meat processing.

1. Professional Plate Chain Conveyor: Perfect for Slippery, Heavy Meat Packages

The most distinctive advantage of Fanchi-tech’s metal detector is its food-grade plastic plate chain conveyor, which completely solves the conveying problems of meat products:

Anti-slip & stable grip: The rigid plate chain structure firmly holds heavy, wet, slippery meat trays and vacuum packages without slipping, tipping or jamming, even under continuous high-speed operation.
Heavy-load design: The reinforced frame and durable plate chain support long-term operation of heavy meat products, with strong load capacity and zero deformation.
Flexible layout: The machine is equipped with universal casters and adjustable fixed foot cups, allowing easy movement and stable positioning in different meat processing workshops, matching various line layouts.

2. Ultra-High Sensitivity & Low False Rejects for Meat Products

Adopting dual-frequency intelligent digital detection technology and self-adaptive interference filtering algorithm, the FA-MD system effectively suppresses the natural product effect of meat, achieving stable and precise detection for all packaged meat items:

Ferrous metal particles: ≥ 0.6mm
Non-ferrous metal particles: ≥ 0.8mm
Stainless steel metal particles: ≥ 1.0mm

It reliably captures tiny metal fragments from cutting tools, bone saws, grinders and packaging equipment that traditional detectors miss, while reducing false rejects caused by meat’s moisture, salt and protein composition.

3. Hygienic, Washdown-Proof Design for Meat Processing

Complying with the strictest hygiene standards of the global meat industry, the entire machine adopts:

Full 304 stainless steel structure, with smooth, crevice-free surfaces that prevent blood, grease and meat residue accumulation.
IP65 waterproof and dustproof grade, supporting daily high-pressure water washing, disinfection and cleaning, completely meeting BRC, IFS and EU meat hygiene requirements.
Detachable plate chain design, allowing quick disassembly for deep cleaning, eliminating bacterial growth risks and simplifying daily maintenance.

4. Intelligent Operation & Comprehensive Compliance Functions

Equipped with a high-definition touch screen, the FA-MD metal detector can store up to 50 groups of product parameter presets, enabling operators to switch between different meat types, package sizes and production speeds in just 25 seconds. It also features automatic real-time data recording, alarm log storage, fault self-diagnosis and remote monitoring functions, providing complete traceability data for third-party audits and customer inspections.

8-Month Operational Results: Verified Performance for EuroMeat Group

Since the full deployment of Fanchi-tech plate chain metal detectors, EuroMeat Group has achieved comprehensive improvements in safety, efficiency and cost control:

37 critical metal fragments intercepted: Including 0.6mm–1.0mm stainless steel splinters, iron shavings and aluminum particles from processing equipment, completely avoiding 5 potential recall incidents and saving an estimated €72,000 in potential losses.
92% reduction in false rejects: Weekly qualified meat waste dropped from 220kg to only 18kg, cutting monthly material waste costs by over €2,100.
22% improvement in line efficiency: Stable plate chain conveying eliminated package slipping and jams, while fast parameter switching reduced downtime, greatly boosting output during peak sales seasons.
100% hygiene & compliance pass rate: The washdown-proof, hygienic design helped EuroMeat pass all EU, BRC and IFS audits with zero non-conformities, securing long-term supply contracts with major European retail groups.

“Fanchi-tech’s plate chain metal detector is not just an inspection device—it is a tailor-made solution for the meat industry,” Müller stated. “The plate chain conveyor, heavy-duty structure, hygiene design and detection performance are all perfectly matched to our meat production lines. It has solved our biggest pain point in food safety.”

Why Fanchi-tech FA-MD Plate Chain Metal Detector Leads the Global Meat Industry

For meat, poultry and prepared meat product manufacturers worldwide, Fanchi-tech’s plate chain metal detector provides unparalleled advantages:

Specialized plate chain conveyor: Anti-slip, heavy-load, stable conveying for wet, slippery, heavy packaged meat products.
High sensitivity with ultra-low false rejects: Breaks through natural interference of meat, ensuring precise detection of micro metal fragments.
Hygienic & durable: Full 304 stainless steel, IP65 waterproof, high-pressure washable, built for harsh meat processing environments.
Flexible installation: Movable with fixed foot cups, adaptable to various production line layouts.
Global compliance: Fully meets EU, USDA, BRC, IFS and major retail food safety standards.
Stable 24/7 operation: Low failure rate, easy maintenance, ideal for continuous industrial production.

Partner with Fanchi-tech for Your Meat Safety Solution

If you are a manufacturer of packaged fresh meat, frozen meat, poultry, marinated steaks or prepared meat products struggling with metal contamination, conveyor slipping, false rejects or hygiene non-compliance, Fanchi-tech FA-MD Plate Chain Metal Detector is your ultimate safety and efficiency solution.

We provide on-site product testing, customized parameter configuration, professional installation, commissioning and global after-sales support. We can test with your actual meat products to prove detection performance and conveying stability before order confirmation.

Contact Us Today

Shanghai Fanchi-tech Machinery Co., Ltd.
Contact Person: Kerry Wang
Email: fanchitech@outlook.com
Official Website: www.fanchitechnology.com