Sealing success: inside Kraft Heinz’s new vision inspection system

The previous inspection system led to avoidable downtime and increased production costs—ranging from water replenishment expenses to higher unit costs and more downtime. It was clearly time for a change, decided Lee Reece, Global FSQ Technical Excellence Lead at Kraft Heinz. 

Focus on new technologies 

“The pot can fail in a number of different ways, be that sauce trapped under the seal, the seal overheating or inadequate pressure to form the seal. We needed a system that was going to be capable of picking up all those different faults,” says Lee. 

High stakes, clear expectations 

The Kraft Heinz team was looking for a system that would improve overall equipment effectiveness, minimize operational risk, and guarantee airtight product sealing. This required detecting even the smallest anomalies—blisters over 2.5 mm, sauce or bean skins in the seal area, and breached seals or creased film. The expectations were crystal clear. 

The new solution meets Kraft Heinz’s exacting sealing standards: no sauce or bean skins in the seal area, no breached seals, no creased film, and no blisters of 2.5 mm or larger. Six weeks in, the results speak for themselves: greater confidence in seal integrity, fewer quality issues, and a smoother production flow. Operators have praised the system’s ease of use, while the Kraft Heinz team sees long-term potential in its ability to reduce downtime, prevent complaints, and protect brand integrity.  

The standard of support has been one of the defining factors in the success of the project

“The impact it's had has been significant. We've seen upturns in the efficiency of the line. We've stopped any of the seal faults getting through to further down the process.” says Lee Reece. “The standard of support that we received from the start on this project has been one of the defining factors in the success of the project. It's been a pleasure to work with Bizerba.” 

Looking ahead, he adds, Bizerba’s innovative spirit and ability to deliver customized, software-integrated solutions make them a valuable long-term technology partner. “It's been a partnership and it's growing every day,” confirms Adrian Allcroft.