They’re Not Couch Potatoes: Fanchi-tech FA-MD & FA-XIS Systems Deliver Dual-Layer Safety for Harvest Fresh Foods

Harvest Fresh Foods stands as one of the premier foodservice providers for salads, dressings, and ready-to-eat entrees in the United States. Headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee since 1976, the company has built a reputation on crafting hundreds of high-quality products—from signature creamy salad dressings and chilled grain salads to hearty dips, frozen entrees, and side dishes. Guided by the mantra “quality as the main ingredient,” as emphasized by Brian Edmonds, Harvest Fresh’s Vice President, the brand has rapidly expanded its footprint: its products now stock restaurant menus nationwide, line the shelves of top retail chains, and even feature in popular television cooking segments.
While the Harvest Fresh brand is synonymous with award-winning flavor, private label and custom-formulated products have emerged as a rapidly growing segment of its business. No matter how customers encounter Harvest Fresh’s offerings—whether in a restaurant, grocery store, or meal kit—they rely on consistent, premium quality. This unwavering standard is what led the company to partner with Shanghai Fanchi-tech Machinery Co., Ltd. for over two decades.

A 20-Year Partnership Built on Trust & Performance

Harvest Fresh’s relationship with Fanchi-tech began with a referral from a fellow foodservice industry colleague—and it has flourished thanks to the reliability of our equipment. So when the company approached Kerry Wang, Fanchi-tech’s North American Sales Director, about adding a second layer of defense to ensure product consistency and elevate food safety standards, she prioritized an on-site plant assessment immediately.
“Industry food safety regulations are stringent, but having worked with Harvest Fresh for years, I know they hold their products to an even higher benchmark,” Wang noted. “With Fanchi-tech’s FA-MD Harsh-Liner Metal Detectors already safeguarding each of their six production lines, our goal was to implement a complementary system that addresses gaps metal detection alone can’t cover—creating a truly comprehensive safety net.”

The Challenge: Harsh Environments & Evolving Safety Demands

Fanchi-tech’s team conducted a full operational audit, mapping Harvest Fresh’s workflow from raw ingredient receiving to filling, packaging, and distribution. This deep dive revealed three critical pain points that demanded a dual-system solution:

• Extreme Operational Conditions: Production areas operate at near-freezing temperatures to preserve fresh, refrigerated products. Additionally, strict HACCP compliance requires frequent, high-pressure wet washdowns—putting equipment durability to the test.
• Offline Metal Detection Limitations: Harvest Fresh was using its FA-MD metal detectors as offline systems, inspecting only large 12–30 pound finished containers at the final production stage. This meant contaminants in raw ingredients—such as stone fragments in salsa vegetables or rubber bits from processing equipment—often went undetected until late in the process.
• Non-Metallic Contaminant Risks: Products like blue cheese dressing (with dense clumps), chunky salsa, and potato salad carried risks of non-metallic hazards—glass shards, calcified bone, and high-density plastics—that metal detectors couldn’t identify, posing a threat to consumer safety and brand reputation.

“We’ve relied on Fanchi-tech’s FA-MD systems for years because they perform exceptionally well in our tough environment,” said Dennis Spence, Harvest Fresh’s Plant Manager. “We’ve put these metal detectors through cold temperatures and harsh washdowns, and they still work like new—they’re incredibly rugged. But as our safety standards evolved, we knew we needed to pair them with technology that could catch what metal alone misses.”
Harvest Fresh’s commitment to excellence is tangible: it has scored 95% or higher on external industry sanitation audits for a decade—a streak it was determined to maintain with an upgraded inspection strategy.

The Solution: Fanchi-tech’s Dual-System Approach

Based on the audit findings, Fanchi-tech recommended a synergistic solution: retaining and optimizing the existing FA-MD Harsh-Liner Metal Detectors while integrating two FA-XIS Pipeline X-Ray Inspection Systems—one on each of Harvest Fresh’s highest-volume production lines. This dual-layer strategy created a “defense in depth” that addressed both metallic and non-metallic risks at critical stages of production.

1. FA-MD Harsh-Liner Metal Detectors: The First Line of Defense

Fanchi-tech’s team calibrated the existing FA-MD systems to maintain their industry-leading performance in harsh conditions. These metal detectors continue to serve as the final checkpoint for finished products, detecting ferrous, non-ferrous, and stainless steel contaminants in 12–30 pound containers with unmatched reliability. Their IP69K rating ensures they withstand daily high-pressure washdowns, while their rugged construction thrives in cold temperatures—aligning perfectly with Harvest Fresh’s operational needs.

2. FA-XIS Pipeline X-Ray Systems: The Second Layer of Protection

To address raw ingredient risks and non-metallic contaminants, the FA-XIS Pipeline systems were installed inline at the early production stage—catching hazards before they enter the manufacturing process. Key features tailored to Harvest Fresh’s needs include:

• High-Flow Efficiency: Designed for lines processing 15,000–30,000 pounds of product per hour (blue cheese dressing, chunky salsa, potato salad), the system’s 3-inch pipe width optimizes flow and prevents blockages—even with textured, inconsistent organic products.
• Comprehensive Contaminant Detection: Identifies both metallic (complementing the FA-MD systems) and non-metallic contaminants, including glass, stone, calcified bone, high-density plastic, rubber, and even dense flavor clumps.
• Multi-Functional Quality Checks: Beyond contamination, the FA-XIS measures product density, verifies fill levels, counts components, and detects damaged packaging—ensuring consistency in every batch.
• Harsh-Environment Durability: Matching the FA-MD’s resilience, the FA-XIS features an IP69K rating and cold-resistant components, making it ideal for Harvest Fresh’s production environment.

Client Success: Safer Products, Stronger Relationships, & Brand Protection

The integration of Fanchi-tech’s dual system delivered immediate and measurable results for Harvest Fresh Foods:

“In the food processing industry, risk is constant—anything can happen at any time,” Edmonds said. “Our goal is to mitigate that risk, and the combination of Fanchi-tech’s FA-MD and FA-XIS systems has been a game-changer. We now have complete confidence that we’re protecting our customers from every conceivable contaminant hazard.”

As President of the Refrigerated Foods Association (RFA)—a role that lets him shape industry safety standards—Edmonds speaks with authority: “I can’t stress enough how important a multi-level inspection approach is. It protects distributors, retailers, customers, and your brand’s reputation. Fanchi-tech’s dual system is the gold standard for how to implement that.”
The benefits extend beyond safety to operational and commercial success:

• Improved Supplier Quality: Harvest Fresh now shares FA-XIS inspection data and best practices with suppliers, leading to a significant improvement in the quality of raw ingredients received.
• Reduced Final-Stage Contaminants: The FA-XIS’s proprietary image processing and 3D modeling technology capture product visuals quickly and reliably, cutting the number of contaminants found in final inspections by over 60%.
• Seamless Operation: Fanchi-tech provided start-up support and one week of on-site training for operators. “The icon-driven control panels mean our team can run both systems without specialized training,” Spence noted. “The implementation was smoother than we ever expected.”
• Reliable Support: Harvest Fresh joined Fanchi-tech’s Premium Service Program, ensuring 5-star support. “Their service team is just a phone call away—responsive and knowledgeable,” Spence added.

Elevate Your Safety with Fanchi-tech’s Dual-System Solution

Whether you’re processing refrigerated foods, dressings, or ready-to-eat meals—even in the harshest production environments—Fanchi-tech’s FA-MD and FA-XIS systems work in harmony to create a safety net that no single technology can match. They protect your brand, satisfy strict regulations, and build trust with every stakeholder.
To learn how our dual-system approach can enhance your operation, contact Kerry Wang at Shanghai Fanchi-tech Machinery Co., Ltd.:

• Email: fanchitech@outlook.com
• Website: www.fanchitechnology.com