5 MORE Methods For Foreign Body Contamination Detection
By Melissa Lind, contributing writer
Last week, five types of foreign body contamination detections systems — separation systems, magnetics, optical sorting, metal detection and x-ray inspection — were discussed. Now, five additional types of detection systems that can be added to a processing line will be discussed
Check out the first five methods for foreign body contamination detection
Up–and-coming technologies are prevalent in food contaminant detection. Some are rare and expensive while some may not come at quite as much of a gouge to your company’s wallet as expected. In order to choose the right system, your company should consider what the system needs to do, where in the processing line it is needed, and how much money your company is willing to invest.
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Some food contaminant detection systems may seem out of reach in terms of availability and price, but the advantages may outweigh the cost in terms of applicability and protection. Detecting foreign body contaminants is an obvious must-do, but some systems offer additional benefits that may cover areas that others don’t. Though simple systems and manual detection are essential, some high-tech systems can provide you with an additional layer of protection to avoid the cost of rejection, recall, and loss of consumer confidence.
Ultrasound Technology
Ultrasound, a medical system which can be adapted for use in the food production line, is based on reflection of sound waves. It is less expensive and safer when compared to X-ray systems. It is favored over some other methods because it is non-destructive and hygienic. It is quick, easy to use, and applicable to high-speed production.
Microwave Reflectance
Microwave detection systems use reflectance to detect foreign bodies in food processing lines. Microwave imaging can detect smaller contaminants than most other systems and doesn’t have restrictions with regard to speed or flow systems. These systems can detect a wide variety of contaminants in different types of food and packaging. The drawback is that microwave technology for food processing isn’t widely available, so the choice of systems and vendors is limited.
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Surface Penetrating Radar
Electromagnetic radiation can utilize low-power microwaves to detect dielectric variances in food products. It is well utilized for quality checks, such as the presence of peanuts in a snack mix, and can be used to check for foreign bodies as well. It has application at two stages in the processing line. When used early in the line, it can detect contaminants or inappropriate mix levels before they are incorporated into other products. At the end-stage, they can reduce the number of recalls based on contamination of finished product. The radar system can be used to detect metal fragments, but does not work well with metallic or foil packaging.
Electrical Impedance
Electrical wave systems use capacitance, resistance, and impedance of electrical waves to detect contaminants, including both metal and non-metal fragments. Electrical systems are based on a combination of microwaves and radio waves which detect changes in frequencies reflected from different materials. Again, these systems are quite promising, but the wide-scale development of units for food processing has not been aggressively pursued, so choices are limited. They also do not work well with metallic packaging.
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging (NMR) has seen wide-spread use in the medical industry. It is a powerful tool that can be used for many unique issues. It can be used detection of foreign bodies such as bone in protein products. It can also be used for identifying contaminants in fruits and vegetables, including insect presence, spoilage, ripening, and sugar content. NMR technology is not yet widely available for the food industry, likely because, like its medical counterpart, the high cost.