As one of the largest halal meat processors in Canada, CanHalal Meats Inc. never undervalues the importance of food safety and providing consumers with peace of mind. Aiming to gain USDA-approval to distribute throughout North America by the end of 2024, the Turkish-style meat specialist describes its four Shanghai Fanchi-tech Machinery Co., Ltd. (Fanchi-tech) metal detectors as “essential equipment,” that more than satisfy regulatory food safety inspections.

To keep pace with growing production volumes, CanHalal Meats, located in the Toronto suburb of Etobicoke, deploys several high-performance packaging and inspection machines. Its fourth addition of an in-line Fanchi-tech pipeline metal detector provides even further food safety assurance, while simultaneously reducing labor, processing and product waste costs by an estimated 50 percent.

Specializing in Turkish-style meats, Montreal-style turkey breast, halal pepperoni, deli cuts and fan-favorite sujuk sausage, CanHalal Meats was founded in 2001 when father-son duo Tahsin and Mehmet Kaya opened a small butcher shop in east downtown Toronto. Today, the company’s processing plant stands on a 20,000-sq-ft space and supplies over 75 different products to retailers, restaurants and distributors. With Mehmet Kaya currently at the helm of the family enterprise, the incumbent President feels comforted that Fanchi-tech, a global leader in food safety equipment with a strong commitment to quality, is completely aligned to their food safety strategy.

Islam is now the second most popular religion in Canada, with the Muslim population now triple what it was in 1996. Non-Muslim Canadians have also enthusiastically embraced the halal cuisine movement, in part driven by its strong emphasis on hygienic practices and safety regulations. Testament to the increasing demand, CanHalal now processes 135,000 lbs. of the finest halal meat monthly.

Fortunately for consumers, Fanchi-tech and CanHalal Meats share the same outlook: high-quality products deserve high-quality equipment. Although metal detection was not a legal requirement when CanHalal was supplying meat products inside their province, the family firm nevertheless committed to food safety from the outset. As their storefront business scaled up, the company decided to branch out into wholesale supply, investing in Fanchi-tech metal detectors for their processing facility.

Rapid expansion and ever-increasing sales volumes led to the addition of an in-line Fanchi-tech pipeline metal detector to inspect meat before it is stuffed, cooked, smoked, sliced and eventually packaged. Having the combination of both upstream and end-of-line conveyor metal detectors gives CanHalal a competitive edge, assures Mehmet. Double inspections equal double reassurance that contaminants are not going undetected and undermining the company’s strong food safety values.

“The pipeline metal detector gives us additional control as we can identify if a product has any metal contaminants much earlier in our production process. This allows us to take appropriate action, removing product before it is processed further and packed. As well as reducing product waste, it provides customers with even more peace of mind that our products are safe and have been thoroughly inspected,” states Mehmet.

Currently, CanHalal Meats operates two processing lines and four packaging lines. Alongside their new Fanchi-tech pipeline metal detector, the company expanded operations in 2021, investing in a new smokehouse, portion cutter, and two additional Fanchi-tech conveyor metal detectors to inspect thermoformed MAP packages. During this installation, Fanchi-tech supplied custom-developed conveyors and cabling that seamlessly integrated the MAP packaging machines to the metal detectors—ensuring smooth, uninterrupted production flow.

When installing the easy-clean Fanchi-tech pipeline metal detector into their upstream processing line, CanHalal connected a weighing machine to accurately portion out the viscous meat for their Sujuk-style chubs and sausages. On the other end is a polyclipper system, connected by a food-grade discharge system. Hygienic, easy to clean, flexible and operator friendly are the machinery features that the CanHalal team values most about Fanchi-tech’s equipment.

Fanchi-tech’s AutoTest Automatic Detection Verification—pre-installed into the pipeline unit—gives CanHalal the benefit of conducting recurring metal detection performance checks, without having to physically pass and retrieve test balls through the pipe. “Performing these tests manually when inspecting raw meats, especially on pipelines, can get messy. It is also labor intensive, can be prone to operator error and is time consuming,” confirms Fanchi-tech North America Sales Representative Dave Chen.

All Fanchi-tech metal detectors feature a fully sealed, crevice-free 304 stainless steel frame—critical for halal meat processing, where hygiene is non-negotiable. The conveyor belts are food-grade, easy to clean without removal, and resistant to meat juices, oils and cleaning chemicals—reducing downtime and eliminating cross-contamination risks, which aligns perfectly with halal processing standards.

Powered by advanced digital signal processing (DSP) technology, Fanchi-tech’s pipeline and conveyor metal detectors deliver high sensitivity, detecting ferrous, non-ferrous and stainless-steel contaminants as small as 0.8mm—ensuring no metal fragments from processing equipment (blades, grinders, conveyor parts) make it into the final product.

Aside from improved food safety upstream, adding the Fanchi-tech pipeline metal detector has reduced costs across the board by 50 percent, reports Mehmet. “Combining the time and labor savings, with risk reduction and reduced waste, I estimate that we have halved our costs. Our inline detector eliminates a lot of waste because the moment this system detects any metal contaminants in the meat, it automatically discharges that part of the batch. This enables us to process and inspect the rest.”

Sharing a passion for superior food safety practices, as well as meat expertise, was the key rationale for selecting Fanchi-tech equipment, claims Mehmet. “Fanchi-tech has a lot of experience in the food business with many global brands, as well as local Canadian enterprises.” That, alongside comprehensive post-service support and operator training, makes Mehmet feel confident in their partnership.

As the meat processor gears up to enter the international arena and complete the process required to trade in the U.S. later this year, CanHalal is constantly seeking more ways to increase efficiency and present their high-quality products. Mehmet vehemently argues that production pace is irrelevant if the business is constantly having to appease regulatory control inspectors. The Fanchi-tech equipment removes this headache. “We have complete peace of mind that we can meet production volumes knowing that everything that passed our double inspection—pipeline and conveyor metal detection—is safe to consume.”

For halal meat processors and food manufacturers seeking to meet global regulatory standards (USDA, HACCP, halal certification) and reduce operational costs, Fanchi-tech’s pipeline and conveyor metal detectors deliver the precision, hygiene and reliability you need to protect your brand and gain consumer trust.

Contact Kerry Wang today to schedule a free virtual demo or on-site trial of Fanchi-tech metal detection solutions, tailored to your halal processing line, product types and regulatory requirements.