By Fortress Technology Inc.

In an industry where safety and compliance are not just priorities but also necessities, the introduction of Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Section 204 has set new benchmarks. As the deadline of January 2026 inches closer, the need for a comprehensive and effective approach to achieving compliance is paramount. Enter FoodReady—your ultimate partner in not just meeting, but also excelling, in FSMA 204 compliance.

As one of the largest halal meat processors in Canada, Solmaz Foods never undervalues the importance of food safety and providing consumers with peace of mind. To keep pace with growing production volumes, the company deploys several high-performance packaging and inspection machines. Its fourth addition of an in-line Fortress Stealth pipeline metal detector provides additional 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, Solmaz Foods was founded in 2001 when father-son duo Tahsin and Mehmet Solmaz opened a small butcher shop in east downtown Toronto. Today, the company's processing plant stands on a 20,000-sqare-foot space and supplies over 75 different products to retailers, restaurants, and distributors. With Mehmet Solmaz currently at the helm of the family enterprise, the incumbent President feels comforted that Fortress Technology, with its equally strong Canadian heritage, is completely aligned to Solmaz's food safety strategy.

Shared Ethos

Islam is now the second most popular religion in Canada, with the Muslim population now triple what it was in 1996.¹ Non-Muslim Canadians have also enthusiastically embraced the halal cuisine movement, in part driven by its strong emphasis on hygienic practices and safety regulations. As a testament to the increasing demand, Solmaz now processes 135,000 lbs. of the finest halal meat monthly.

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

Rapid expansion and ever-increasing sales volumes led to the addition of an in-line Fortress Stealth 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 Solmaz a competitive edge, assures Mehmet. Double inspections mean 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.

At present, Solmaz Foods operates two processing lines and four packaging lines. Alongside its new Fortress pipeline metal detector, the company expanded operations in 2021, investing in a new smokehouse, a new portion cutter, and two additional conveyor Stealth metal detectors to inspect thermoformed modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) packages (Figure 1). During this installation, Fortress supplied custom-developed conveyors and the cable that seamlessly integrated the MAP packaging machines to the metal detectors.

When installing the easy-to-clean pipeline metal detector into its upstream processing line, Solmaz connected a weighing machine to accurately portion out the viscous meat for its 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 Solmaz team values most about this Fortress equipment.

Automatic testing provides another time-saving and more hygienic feature. Pre-installed into the pipeline unit, Halo Automatic Testing gives Solmaz the benefit of conducting reoccurring 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 Fortress Sales Representative Dave Pshebnicki.

Doubling Safety, Halving Costs

Aside from improved food safety upstream, adding the Stealth pipeline 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 Fortress equipment, claims Mehmet. "Fortress has a lot of experience in the food business with many global brands, as well as local Canadian enterprises." That, alongside post-service support and training, makes Mehmet feel comfortable.

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, Solmaz is constantly seeking more ways to increase efficiency and present its high-quality products. Mehmet vehemently argues that production pace is irrelevant if the business is constantly having to appease regulatory control inspectors. The Fortress 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 test is safe to consume," states Mehmet. 

Leo Lowy is the Director of Sensor Product Management for Zebra Technologies.