“While end-of-line inspection is typically the critical control point, inspection of incoming ingredients may offer benefits, such as protecting machinery and eliminating contaminants before they can be fragmented into pieces that may be too small for detection at end-of-line inspection points,” says Todd Grube, product manager for inspection systems, Heat and Control, Hayward, CA. “The latest metal detection and X-ray technologies make it possible for food processors to choose the most economical detection solution, depending on their products.”
There are many opportunities for contamination to occur before products arrive at a food processing plant. “Even with safety regulations in place, many plant workers don’t check items for contamination upon arrival,” says Ray Spurgeon, product manager for metal detection, Eriez, Erie, PA. “Proactive companies never assume complete cleanliness, so they install magnetic separation equipment and metal detectors at the beginning of their processes.” SF&WB
