Where are metal detectors used
Metal detectors in the food industry, are used for consumer protection.
Despite maximum care that the food companies preform, metal contaminations of food, during the production process, cannot be fully excluded.Metal particles can enter the product during the production process in many forms, from machine particles, people, raw material etc.
Metal contamination can cause serious injuries of consumers. The consequences for the food producing company can be numerous and serious, and can include compensation claims and expensive recalls.Even bigger and longer-lasting damage can be caused by negative brand image, and the loss of customers can be a consequence.
Metal detectors for food provide effective protection against various types of metals ferrous, non-ferrous and stainless steel. Metal detectors can be installed in almost every step of a production process, and can be used for many different applications.
Typical applications can be inspection of meat & sausage products, bakery, poultry, spices, bread, fruit, vegetables, dairy products, sugar, convenience foods etc.
Metal detectors are also widely used to protect production machinery. Metal pieces can fall off, raw material can contain metal, and grinding metal in machinery can also produce metal contaminants.
Even small metal particles can potentially lead to machinery failure. The consequence can be expensive repairs and costly production downtime.
Where are metal detectors installed in the food production process?
When used for machinery protection, the metal detector is installed directly before the machine to be protected. If, as in most cases in the food industry, consumer protection is the goal, several inspection points are useful. An inspection of raw material has the advantage that metal particles are separated before they are broken up into smaller pieces which might be harder to detect. Inspections at critical control points (HACCPs) during the production process are recommended to notice machinery failures (such as broken blades) in time.
Consequently, food products in their final stage after packaging are inspected once again with a metal detector to fully exclude contamination.
For optimal product protection an inspection of raw materials, of several critical control points, and a final inspection of the finished product are recommended
Examples of installations
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