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