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Tampa, FL, July 14, 2015 – Food safety maintains its top position as an issue for manufacturers as they face increased scrutiny from regulators and consumers, both globally and nationally in the US. With the US Food Safety Modernization Act set to bring about the greatest change to American food safety regulations in 70 years, manufacturers face increased pressure to upgrade food safety equipment and data collection. Further afield, major markets such as China1 and the EU2 firmly place liability on manufacturers to maintain product safety and consumer health. In this heightened climate of food safety regulation and compliance, Eagle Product Inspection (Eagle) will showcase its inline inspection technology excellence at PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2015 (Booth C-3803) and Process Expo 2015 (Booth #1216 – East Hall), in addition to launching a number of new cutting edge machines.
The pioneers in x-ray inspection and fat measurement technologies will debut three new innovations developed to ensure product quality and operational efficiency, facilitating high throughput rates for food, beverage and meat manufacturers. New to the market, the Eagle™ FA3/M inline fat measurement and contaminant detection provides automated quality checks including fat analysis and contaminant detection of loose meat products and the Eagle™ Pipeline is a pipeline x-ray inspection system for contamination in liquids, slurries and solid meat products. On display for the first time will be the Eagle™ Bulk 540 PRO, which uses advanced x-ray inspection technology for high-volume, loose flow dry or wet bulk foods, providing thorough identification of physical contaminants with precise rejection for less product waste.
“The amplified attention to food safety and quality standards means manufacturers are looking for advanced, automated product inspection solutions capable of facilitating fast production speeds. Without compromising safety, manufacturers must be able to perform quality checks with the greatest throughput possible in order to maximize yield,” said Kyle Thomas, Strategic Business Unit Manager, Eagle Product Inspection.
For meat manufacturers looking for fat measurement and contaminant detection solutions, the Eagle™ FA3/M inline fat measurement and contaminant detection is the latest addition to the FA3 platform for mixed bulk meat. Designed as a multi-application system, the FA3/M is capable of handling various forms of meat product including fresh, hot-boned, chilled and frozen in different formats such as loose bulk and frozen. The FA3/M uses the third generation of Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA) technology to discriminate between fat and lean in meat products with 100 percent throughput. In collaboration with Eagle’s SimulTask™ inspection software, throughput is further enhanced with the FA3/M’s ability to inspect over 2,400 plastic crates or frozen blocks per hour or up to 35 tons of bulk meat per hour.
In response to the increased market demand for inspection of pumped products such as liquids, solids and slurries, Eagle will unveil the new Eagle™ Pipeline. Designed to provide thorough x-ray inspection for products like tomato sauces, ice cream and processed meats, the Eagle™ Pipeline provides a wall of defense against contamination before the product hits the packaging stages, where smaller contaminants are more difficult to find and expensive to remove. The Eagle™ Pipeline, available with either a 2.5- 3- 4- or 6- inch pipe diameter, ensures security by dispersing product into an even rectangular platform prior to inspection, providing a uniform image to better identify contaminants.
High-volume dry and wet bulk foods such as nuts, grains, sugar, cereals, fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables , which have traditionally created challenges for manufacturers due to the loose flow format and high-level of product waste, can now receive complete inspection with the new Eagle™ Bulk 540 PRO x-ray inspection system. Featuring a cutting-edge cupped conveyor, product depth is more uniform across the belt while simultaneously reducing waste by preventing product spillage along the conveyor edge, a common occurrence with conventional flat belt designs. The Bulk 540 Pro is also designed to meet rigorous hygienic standards of the food industry where frequent machine inspections and cleaning are a requirement.
Eagle will also showcase two existing technologies released previously at Pack Expo International. The Eagle™ Pack 430 PRO, designed for mid-sized plastic containers, carton/boxes and pouches, both standard poly-wrapped products and those in foil or metalized film packaging, will be on display with the latest advancement in Material Discrimination X-ray (MDX) technology. Using atomic numbers to decipher between contents, MDX enables the detection of contaminants that were previously undetectable in products with multi-textured ingredients such as cereal bars, bags of fruit and nuts and prepared salads.
Ideal for manufacturers of products in rigid containers with limited line space, the Eagle™ Tall PRO XSDV x-ray inspection system uses high performance dual view x-ray technology to provide 100% package inspection for contaminants. The technology is capable of running multiple high-speed line inspections for cans, jars, bottles and composite lines at rates of more than 1,000 products per minute.