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As the demands of the poultry industry continue to increase at an astonishing rate year after year, it’s becoming more and more difficult for poultry suppliers to meet product demand and quality standards. To produce sanitary poultry products that are free of bone and contaminants, and to do so quickly, is no small feat for these suppliers and processors to overcome. Using traditional systems and outdated technology has proven to be far too inefficient for today’s poultry standards, yet the issue of quality assurance (QA) remains a prevalent concern for suppliers and consumers alike. X-ray technology has emerged as an advanced tool to empower poultry companies with robust QA capabilities, a more hygienic processing line, and even a significant increase in throughput. In today’s blog, we’ll be examining the values of productivity and QA in poultry processing.
Quality Concerns in The Poultry Processing Industry
There are two broad classifications of poultry processing facilities that we will be examining today: slaughter houses, and further processing plants. While the challenges faced in each type of facility may differ, our chicken x-ray inspection technology has the versatility to address each of their needs.
In both types of facilities, there are a multitude of check points or insertion points where the product is inspected for embedded contaminants or foreign bodies like bone fragments, stones, and metallic contaminants to name a few. As we discussed in another blog post , having multiple inspection points throughout the production line is crucial to ensure that only quality products enter the line, and only quality products leave the line. While the receiving and packaging points are the most critical to consider, many poultry processing facilities can benefit from having 3 or more check points depending on the activities of their production line.
Many poultry facilities still struggle with reliable detection of contaminants and foreign bodies in their products, partially due to lackluster imaging technology, and partially due to less thoughtful system construction and design. While the overall efficiency is where most systems clearly show room for improvement, hygiene and cleanliness present an additional challenge in QA and productivity alike. The overall productivity and QA abilities of poultry processors depends largely on the advantages or limitations of their equipment. In order to see meaningful improvements in quality and to maximize production line throughput, one way that poultry processors can give themselves a competitive edge is with an advanced x-ray inspection system.
Whether you’re looking to upgrade your production line or overhaul your entire inspection system, Eagle PI is here to help. Contact us today to get started. Contact Us >>>
The Need for Advanced Inspection Systems
While quality control in the red meat industry is largely concerned with metrics like lean values, fat claims, and other composition related values, quality in the poultry industry is largely focused on the detection of bone and foreign materials. To address the risk of product contamination with the attention it deserves, poultry processing facilities must use chicken x-ray inspection systems and technologies that are extremely capable of detecting foreign bodies without slowing down production. That’s where we come in.
For the past 25+ years, Eagle PI has specialized in developing and optimizing the world’s leading x-ray food inspection technology. Our latest development in dual energy technology- the most advanced of its kind on today’s market- is called Performance X-Ray Technology, or PXT™ for short. With the ability to display over 65,000 grayscale values in a single image, our PXT™ technology is the most advanced chicken x-ray imaging technology in the poultry industry to date. The high resolution produces images of unrivaled clarity, which allows for the detection of bone fragments as small as 2 mm and inorganic contaminants as small as 0.6 mm in poultry products. This high resolution imaging is done at high line speeds. Eagle’s chicken x-ray machines are the fastest in the industry, running at line speeds of up to 175 FPM versus industry standards which run between 100 to 120 FPM.
Advantages of Implementing Eagle’s Inspection Systems
Implementing the right chicken x-ray inspection system for your production line can result in immense improvements in quality, throughput, and profitability. We know that no two inspection points are exactly the same, so at Eagle we have developed a multitude of solutions that will excel in specific applications. As an example, take the MAMIMIZER RMI. This line of chicken x-ray inspection machines is specifically designed to be utilized in early processing stages or applications where raw material is being handled. On the other hand, the Pack PRO line of x-ray inspection equipment is designed for effective performance when placed at the packaging stage of production, with configurable settings that can be adjusted depending on the product’s packaging, consistency, desired detectable bone size, and so much more.
Application differences aside, hygiene remains one of the highest priorities for poultry suppliers across the board. Hygienic design is one of the key features of Eagle PI systems that helps ensure product safety, quality, and compliance with poultry processing regulations and standards. The MAXIMIZER RMI stands out as a shining example of the crossroads between hygiene, functionality, and efficiency. Each Maximizer system is equipped with a sanitation mode for easy cleaning. Belt lifters on the infeed and return conveyors allow the belts to be lifted, rather than removed, for easy access during sanitation operations. The stand-alone reject features hygienic belts designed for quick and easy assembly/disassembly with in-place slide in/out rollers and there are no fasteners or hydraulics located in the product zone. A self-contained parts cleaning rack in the base of the machine provides sanitation personnel with easy access during cleaning while minimizing the risk of parts loss or damage.
By adopting a chicken x-ray system that is designed for hygienic operation and equipped with advanced imaging technology, poultry suppliers can truly experience the benefits of higher productivity and Quality Assurance.
Ready to take your production line to the next level? Contact Eagle PI to find out which solution is right for you. Contact Us >>>
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