The intelligent workshop at the MIXUE GROUP industrial park in Tongnan, Chongqing, has entered a period of intense activity. Fresh oranges undergo multiple processes including feeding, cleaning, disinfection, and AI-powered intelligent sorting, where high-quality fruit is accurately identified, with several fully automated production lines operating at high efficiency.
As one of Mixue's five major national production bases, the Chongqing Tongnan factory focuses on deep processing of citrus fruits like lemons and oranges, with an annual fresh fruit throughput exceeding 100,000 tonnes.
Public information shows that Mixue has created several hit products, including Fresh Ice Cream and Iced Fresh Lemonade. From January to October 2025, over 1.5 billion cups of Iced Fresh Lemonade were sold.
The Smashed Fresh Orange drink is another popular menu item. Early this year, Mixue upgraded the ingredients for Smashed Fresh Orange, switching from orange-grapefruit jam to composite orange juice transported via cold chain. The upgraded product offers a more natural flavor and richer nutritional content.
Each year when summer oranges ripen, Mixue's procurement team implements strict quality control, checking everything from appearance and size to sugar content and weight—for instance, requiring individual fruit weight to be between 138 and 290 grams.
In the intelligent workshop at the Tongnan factory, robotic arms handle grabbing and feeding materials, followed by comprehensive cleaning and disinfection, with fruit selection performed by an intelligent sorting system.
The core of this system is an AI model equipped with a FRUSCAN S7 PRO visual inspection system. Through extensive deep learning and training on massive datasets of fresh fruit information, it has evolved its fruit selection capabilities.
When oranges enter the sorting line, infrared and high-definition cameras capture high-frequency "bursts" at 42 frames per second, completing precise identification of surface scars and blemishes within 0.02 seconds. A synchronized dynamic weighing system maintains an accuracy of ±1 gram. The entire process, from conveyor belt entry to final graded output, takes as little as one minute. Workshop staff revealed that during peak production season, the factory "receives" approximately 1,000 tonnes of fresh oranges daily.
In recent years, Mixue has consistently increased its procurement of fresh oranges, with annual purchases reaching 50,000 tonnes. For oranges meeting its acquisition standards, Mixue offers prices higher than the market rate.
In Anyue, Sichuan, Mixue has also invested in building a lemon supply chain center, establishing a 30,000-mu high-standard lemon demonstration direct-supply base and constructing a 20,000-tonne cold storage and sorting center. Upon operation, it is expected to process over 20,000 tonnes of fresh lemons annually.
In 2025, Mixue donated agricultural plant protection drones and supporting equipment to the Chongqing Tongnan District Agricultural Service Center to promote precise pest and disease control. It also invested in organic fertilizer valued at 800,000 yuan to replace chemical fertilizers, improving soil fertility.