Question 1

What type of sideshoot food X-ray inspection system should be used for glass in glass inspection?

Accepted Answer

Multi-beam food X-ray inspection systems should be used for glass in glass inspection because the multiple beams provide more views of the same bottle, increasing the detection of smaller glass.

Question 2

Does the Xpert Sideshoot X-ray Inspection System meet HACCP requirements?

Accepted Answer

Yes, the Xpert Sideshoot X-ray Inspection System meets HACCP requirements.

Question 3

Can a sideshoot food X-ray inspection system detect the fill level of the upright container?

Accepted Answer

Fill level detection is a configurable parameter that can be set to determine when containers are significantly under filled. Fill level works on homogenous products with a clear line between product and head space (typically liquids or gels). Fill level does NOT work when there is NO clear distinction between product and head space or with an inconsistent level on powders.

Question 4

Do I need curtains with a sideshoot food X-ray inspection system?

Accepted Answer

Yes, though radiation-blocking curtains often cause upright containers to be knocked down or shifted. In this case, a chicane-style enclosure with a curved shape eliminates the need for curtains, because X-rays can't go around curves, although curtains are available if preferred.

Question 5

Is X-ray inspection of pet foods safe?

Accepted Answer

X-ray inspection of packaged and bulk food products is proven to be extremely safe. There is no documented evidence of adverse health effects of X-rays on equipment operators, the food products that travel through the equipment, and ultimately, the pet consuming those products.

Question 6

What is the best inspection technology for wet pet food?

Accepted Answer

Since wet or moist pet foods have a high product effect, X-ray inspection is the best technology to detect contaminants such as metal, glass, stone, and other dense foreign objects.

Question 7

What is the best inspection technology for dry/kibble pet food?

Accepted Answer

Metal detection works very well with dry/kibble pet food and treats that do not have a product effect that wet or moist pet foods do. Metal detection equipment provides reliable, cost-effective protection from even the smallest metal contaminants found in pet food production anywhere in a process. If the packaging material contains metal, X-ray inspection would be the right choice. In addition, if there are other contaminant concerns such as stone, high density plastic or glass, X-ray inspection systems will detect these contaminants as well.

Question 8

Where are the best places on the pet food production line to utilize inspection equipment?

Accepted Answer

There are several points in the pet food production process that benefit from food safety inspection (metal detectors, X-ray inspection) and checkweighing technology. Here are some examples:

- Incoming ingredients. Large pet food producers may require that their vendors meet specific HACCP objectives and provide proof of inspection. Even with those methodologies in place, some will also inspect incoming ingredients. Typical incoming inspection consists of drop through and bulk flow metal detectors.

- After mixing/rendering. Processing equipment such as an industrial blender or mixer will age over time and potentially introduce small particles or shavings of metal into the product being processed. It is important to position inspection equipment after this process equipment to catch any contaminants as early in production as possible, so it doesn't affect final product quality as well as damage equipment further downstream. The inspection equipment type will depend on the product type and whether its formulation creates a “product effect”. Wet or moist pet food products are more suited toward X-ray equipment, while metal detectors perform well with dry or kibble type pet food products.

- After filling/packing. The recommended inspection equipment type is dependent on the packaging material or combination of materials that have been selected for this product. Metal components such as aluminum foil trays, metal cans, aluminum foil bags or metalized firm structures are much more suited to X-ray inspection. Flexible materials without a metal component, paperboard folding cartons, bags or pouches work very well with either metal detectors or X-ray inspection systems. At this stage, checkweighers are frequently used in combination with a metal detector or X-ray inspection system to ensure product weight matches information printed on the product label.

- After case packing. After case packing is another good inspection point as this is the last stop before the finished products leave the facility. The recommended inspection equipment type is dependent on the packaging material of the individual product. This is typically done via X-ray inspection. In addition to contaminant detection, the X-ray system's ability to detect missing pieces will help ensure that the specified count has been loaded into the case. In certain situations, especially when X-ray inspection is not included at the end of the line, checkweighers are placed here to ensure that the proper number of packages are contained inside the case.

Question 9

What is "product effect" in pet food manufacturing?

Accepted Answer

“Product effect” occurs when a product has a conductive property which affects the magnetic field generated by the food metal detector. This is typically found in high salt, high moisture product environments. For example, wet cat food will show significantly more product effect due to its high moisture and salt content. This negatively impacts the metal detector's ability to distinguish between actual non-ferrous metal contaminants and the false signal given by the combination of typical product attributes. In these situations, industrial X-ray inspection equipment will produce significantly better results since product effect is not a factor.

Question 10

Where are the best places along the production line to inspect baked goods and snack products?

Accepted Answer

There are several points in the baked goods/snack foods production process that benefit from food safety inspection using metal detectors (https://www.thermofisher.com/us/en/home/industrial/food-beverage/food-weighing-inspection/metal-detectors.html), X-ray inspection (https://www.thermofisher.com/us/en/home/industrial/food-beverage/food-weighing-inspection/x-ray-detection-inspection-systems.html), or checkweighing (https://www.thermofisher.com/us/en/home/industrial/food-beverage/food-weighing-inspection/checkweighers.html)technology. They are listed below:

1. Incoming ingredients. Most of the larger bakers demand that their vendors meet specific HACCP objectives. They may require that metal detectors be used, provide proof of inspection, etc. Even with those methodologies in place, some will also inspect incoming ingredients. Typical incoming inspection consists of drop through and bulk flow metal detectors.

2. Dough stage. Before the product is baked or otherwise processed, this is an ideal location to conduct upstream inspection. Metal detectors are the equipment of choice because metal-based packaging is not part of the process at this stage. Bar products are another example. They can be examined right after sheeting, or after the individual bars are cut, or before the product goes into the wrapper. Alternatively, they can also be inspected after packaging.

3. After baking/before packaging. The inspection equipment type will depend on the product type and whether or not its formulation creates a “product effect”. Warm, moist, high salt content products such as breads are more suited toward X-ray equipment, while metal detectors perform well with typically-inert snack foods. Checkweighers can also be located at this stage to make sure that the product weight falls within the min/max specifications and will not create problems (such as line stoppages due to oversize) at the packaging stage. Checkweighers can also be used to confirm that all of the late-stage filling components, such as icing and other toppings, have been properly dispensed.

4. After packaging. The recommended inspection equipment type is dependent on the packaging material or combination of materials that have been selected for this product. Metal components such as aluminum foil trays or metalized firm structures are much more suited to X-ray inspection. Flexible materials without a metal component, paperboard folding cartons and/or a combination of the two, work very well with metal detectors. Checkweighers are frequently located at this stage of the operation.

5. After case packing. Some bakers or processors prefer to inspect after the final packaging stage: case packing. This is typically done via X-ray inspection, provided that the unit is large enough to accompany a case. In addition to inspection, the X-ray system's ability to detect missing pieces will help ensure that the specified count has been loaded into the case. In certain situations, especially when X-ray inspection is not included at the end of the line, checkweighers are placed here to ensure that the proper number of packages are contained inside the case.

Question 11

What is the best inspection technology to find broken or missing pieces in snack bags?

Accepted Answer

In the case of snack bars and other similar snack products, food X-ray inspection (https://www.thermofisher.com/us/en/home/industrial/food-beverage/food-weighing-inspection/x-ray-detection-inspection-systems.html) can be used for spotting missing or broken pieces.

Question 12

What is the best inspection technology for snacks in metalized film packaging?

Accepted Answer

Although most snack foods don't have the “product effect” issues found in baked items, spotting contaminants is challenged by the packaging material of choice. The majority of snack foods marketed today are packaged in metalized film which is formed into a bag via a form-fill-seal (f/f/s) machine or flow wrapper. This means that these packages are not good candidates for metal detectors. Rejection of products in the food metal detector equipment is also challenging because packages tend to be small. With these process and material obstacles in place, food X-ray inspection equipment (https://www.thermofisher.com/us/en/home/industrial/food-beverage/food-weighing-inspection/x-ray-detection-inspection-systems.html) is the ideal solution to address snack food inspection challenges.

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