.svg)
Food safety is extremely relevant, for both manufacturers and consumers. Product recall protection is driving manufacturers to incorporate x-ray product inspection into their packaging and processing lines. While an inspection step is a critical requirement for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) and most likely needed for Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) compliance, it is important to establish what to look for in a product inspection system before committing to a solution. With a multitude of options available on the market, it can be confusing to select a technology that will be the right fit for a production line. Advanced x-ray product inspection technologies can offer much more than contaminant detection, currently pushing the frontiers of food inspection into total quality assurance.
When Traditional Product Inspection Methods Are Not Enough
A traditional form of inspection used before the inception and popularization of today’s common technologies was manual inspection. An appropriate method in the past, manual inspection presents many challenges that have made it unsuitable for food manufacturing as standards have become more rigorous. Some of these challenges include identification of contaminants only visible to the human eye, significantly lower throughput speeds, and inherent worker safety risk created by manually removing contaminated product from the line. Manual inspection critically fails to consider hazards that can’t be seen, such as a glass shard inside a jar of tomato sauce or metal shaving in a can of soup.
Detecting More Than Metals
Metal is one of many common contaminants to appear in physical contamination recalls¹. Reasons for this include metal-to-metal contact in the processing stages creating loose metal fragments and the introduction of metal through raw materials. For that reason the incorporation of metal detectors became very popular for manufacturers looking to perform an in-depth inspection of their line for ferrous and non-ferrous metals, stainless steel and aluminum fragments. Metal detectors remain a quality solution for this common contaminant; however, challenges still remain such as difficulty inspecting inside low-density foil or metalized film, a popular packaging for snacks, confectionery and bakery products. X-ray product inspection has the added advantage of being able to detect other common forms of contamination such as stone, glass and calcified bone, which are impossible for metal detectors to identify as well as product integrity checks such as component count and weighing.
Not sure when to use a metal detector or an x-ray machine? Learn the differences between x-ray and metal detectors in this webinar. WATCH WEBINAR >>>
Total Quality Assurance with X-ray Inspection Systems
With safety regulations and certifications becoming increasingly stringent, such as the finalization of the FSMA and the revision of the British Retail Consortium Global Standards (BRCGS), many suppliers and manufacturers require additional inspection and quality checks throughout their lines. Capable of inspecting the full spectrum of food products, from confectionery and snack foods to meat and poultry, in loose, bulk, pumped, individual or multipack formats, advanced x-ray inspection systems have become a familiar and trusted solution. With the ability to perform non-invasive inspection for contaminants like metal, glass, dense plastics and rubbers, mineral stone, and calcified bone while maintaining high efficiency and throughput, modern x-ray product inspection offers many distinct advantages over most inspection methods.
Detect More Contaminants With Dual-Energy X-Ray Technology
X-ray inspection gives a clear view into a product and package, allowing it to distinguish harmful contaminants from the components of a food product. The development of an dual energy inspection technology, both traditional and enhanced, enables the detection of previously undetectable contaminants. With Material Discrimination X-ray (MDX), foods with varying densities, such as containers of trail mix or bags of frozen stir-fry that typically produce difficult or busy images to inspect, no longer pose a challenge as components are deciphered according to their atomic number, which makes contaminants easier to find. PXT™, Photon-counting X-ray Technology elevates dual energy and takes detection to a new level. PXT™ delivers crisper images that enable processors and food manufacturers to see subtle differences and more detail than ever before. Photon-counting dual energy technology enhances contaminant detection and improves accuracy with a lower false reject rate.
Quality Assurance Beyond Contaminant Detection
Not only are x-ray inspection systems capable of identifying contaminants, they simultaneously provide manufacturers with the quality checks required by retailers and certifiers. With a quick pass through the machine, quality checks for mass measurement, package integrity, component count, fill level and packaging defects take place safeguarding product from future contamination or degradation and damage to brand integrity. Unlike other forms of inspection technology, advanced x-ray inspection systems collect data on the products passing through the machine, aiding with reporting, traceability and due diligence in the event of a recall.
X-ray is a commonly chosen method of food inspection in modern food manufacturing. Staff working with x-ray product inspection systems are protected by legislation and design. The regulations set safety levels, while equipment manufacturers build even greater safety margins into their systems. Furthermore, studies from the World Health Organization (WHO) have also shown that x-ray radiation shows no adverse effects on the food products passing through it.
With functionality that is highly compatible with modern manufacturing methods, advanced x-ray product inspection systems enable food manufacturers to enhance both product integrity and consumer safety, while also protecting their businesses from the risk of product recall or sub-standard products hitting the market.
How Does Eagle PI’s Design Speed Up Inspections?
While food safety standards may be at an all-time high, they are not the only factor that food processors and suppliers must take into account. Productivity is a key metric that is directly supported by the adoption of high-speed x-ray inspection systems which make food inspection a seamless task.
Unlike other systems, Eagle PI’s x-ray inspection machines can be designed for extremely versatile multilane inspection. This is not limited to two identical lines. Each line can be set to a certain product type to perform multiple types of x-ray product inspection simultaneously. This allows producers to maintain not only a high degree of control over their production, but also a great deal of flexibility to make adjustments on the fly.
Another feature that makes Eagle systems a top choice for productivity is the automated reject. If a product is found to contain a contaminant or otherwise fall out of spec at an inspection point, the faulty product can be automatically rejected from the line to be corrected or destroyed.
Why Is Sanitary Design Important In Food Inspection?
Sanitary design is critical, especially when working with meat, poultry or seafood, to reduce the risk of bacterial contamination on your production line. However, be aware that not all systems are engineered with sanitation and hygiene in mind. When these systems are not built for the daily sanitation needs required to stay compliant with health and food safety standards, it can be a long and tedious process to disassemble, sanitize, and reassemble the system. Plus, certain elements of design and construction can actually harbor bacterial growth rather than prevent it.
At Eagle PI, we specialize in sanitary system design that is backed by hygienic construction. This means that food manufacturers can easily disassemble, wash, and sanitize our units in just a matter of minutes, without ever having to worry about hidden bacterial hazards. Afterwards, reassembling the machine is just as simple to keep downtime to an absolute minimum.
