Compact Power, Maximum Safety

Fanchi-tech FA-XIS Compact X-Ray System Helps Heritage Meat Co.—Global Food Leader—Boost Detection Capabilities Without Sacrificing Space
Heritage Meat Co., a family-owned Irish food group renowned for sustainable production and iconic brands, needed a transformative inspection solution for its UK-based Kirkham facility. Tasked with upgrading 8 production lines (manufacturing Europe’s No.1 microwavable snack brand, QuickBite) to detect soft contaminants, verify product integrity, and maintain high throughput—all in a tight footprint—the team turned to Shanghai Fanchi-tech Machinery Co., Ltd. The answer? The FA-XIS Compact Series X-Ray Inspection System—a game-changer that exceeded their strict quality and space requirements.

About Heritage Meat Co.: Quality & Sustainability at Scale

With over 4,500 employees across 12 manufacturing facilities in Ireland and the UK, Heritage Meat Co. is a global leader in fresh and value-added meat products. Its portfolio includes household brands like QuickBite (Europe’s top microwavable snack), FlameGrill, and GreenPasture Beef, serving retail and foodservice markets across Europe, the US, Asia, and Africa.
At its Kirkham site, the company produces microwavable burgers and hot sandwiches—packaged in 100% recyclable clear packs with added cheese slices and sauce sachets. Upholding world-class food safety standards is non-negotiable here: the facility consistently achieves top grades in international food safety audits, a cornerstone of its brand reputation.

The Challenge: Do More in the Same Space

Heritage Meat Co.’s aging mix of metal detectors and checkweighers on 8 production lines presented critical limitations:

Limited Contaminant Detection: Metal detectors failed to identify soft hazards like bone fragments—common in meat processing—or non-metallic contaminants (ceramic, glass) that posed risks to consumer safety.
No Product Integrity Checks: The old system couldn’t verify if cheese slices or sauce sachets were correctly placed in packs, leading to customer complaints and waste.
Space Constraints: The facility had no room for bulky, multi-unit inspection setups—any upgrade needed to combine contaminant detection, checkweighing, and integrity checks in a single, compact machine.
Throughput Demands: Production lines ran at 100 packs per minute; the new solution had to match this speed without slowing output.

The Opportunity: All-in-One X-Ray Innovation

Given the complexity of their microwavable snacks, Heritage Meat Co. determined X-ray technology was the only way to meet their goals. They needed a system that delivered:

Best-in-class detection of both metallic and soft contaminants.
Accurate checkweighing (to a 3g tolerance) and product integrity verification.
Compact design for seamless integration into existing 8 lines.
24/7 reliable operation to support non-stop production.

After extensive consultation and on-site audits, Fanchi-tech was selected to supply 8 FA-XIS Compact Series X-Ray Systems—engineered to address every challenge in a single, space-saving unit.

The Solution: FA-XIS Compact X-Ray System

Fanchi-tech’s FA-XIS Compact transformed Heritage Meat Co.’s inspection process, delivering uncompromising performance in a minimal footprint:

Design Benefits Tailored to Meat Processing

Superior Detection Precision: Identifies tiny metallic contaminants (0.4mm) and soft hazards (0.8mm–1.6mm bone, ceramic, glass)—eliminating risks the old metal detectors missed.
Ultra-Compact Footprint: At just 1000mm in line length, it fits seamlessly into the Kirkham facility’s tight spaces without reconfiguring production lines.
24/7 Durability: Built for continuous operation, with a robust design that withstands the demands of high-volume meat processing.
Easy Product Switching: Intuitive setup wizard lets operators quickly switch between product variants, supporting flexible production runs.
Smart Network Connectivity: Enables remote product changeovers and real-time data sharing, streamlining quality control and operational oversight.

Production Benefits That Drive Efficiency

All-in-One Functionality: Combines contaminant detection, checkweighing (3g tolerance), and component integrity checks (cheese/sauce placement, volume verification) in one system—replacing multiple old machines.
Max Throughput: Maintains 100 packs per minute, matching the facility’s production pace without bottlenecks.
Retail Compliance: Meets stringent retailer Codes of Practice and global food safety standards, ensuring audit readiness.

Client Testimonial: Heritage Meat Co.

John O’Connor, Operations Manager at Heritage Meat Co.’s Kirkham site, praised the FA-XIS Compact and Fanchi-tech’s support:“We had extremely high expectations for our X-ray upgrade, and the FA-XIS Compact delivered—even exceeded—them. Given the complexity of our microwavable snacks, we needed detailed scoping to get the equipment perfect, and Fanchi-tech’s technical team was passionate about ensuring optimal performance.
Since installation, the systems have run flawlessly 24/7. Their compact size was a game-changer for our facility, and the detection precision gives us 100% confidence in our product safety. Fanchi-tech’s support throughout installation and beyond has been exceptional—I couldn’t be happier with the result.”

Ready to Upgrade Your Meat Processing Inspection?

Whether you need to detect soft contaminants, verify product integrity, or save space on your production line, the FA-XIS Compact Series is engineered for the unique demands of meat and snack processing.
Contact Kerry Wang at Shanghai Fanchi-tech Machinery Co., Ltd. today to discuss a tailored solution for your facility:

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