X-RAY FOOD INSPECTION:
Why Outside Inspection
The Best Solution to Foreign Material Contamination
Foreign material contamination happens to even the most prepared plants with the most exacting of QA processes in the food manufacturing industry. A lot of careful work and preparation go into delivering food to consumers, and sometimes, physical contaminants get into the food somewhere along the way. It comes with the territory. No matter the position you hold at a food manufacturing company or facility, you know that foreign material contamination poses a huge risk for your brand and bottom line.
How Manufacturers Eliminate Foreign Material Contamination Before it Happens
As everyone in the food industry knows, we are required by law to produce food that is safe—specifically food free from microbial organisms or other physical contaminants that could result in illness, injury or death to our consumers. We all must align with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations for developing safe food, and the best manufacturers abide by these practices:
Unfortunately, all of our advanced plans, protocols and procedures are not enough on their own to eliminate this problem in our industry. They are, however, extremely helpful in flagging contaminated product. Manufacturers that have robust plans in place are often able to catch foreign material contamination and put that contaminated product on hold before sending it into distribution. Manufacturers that don’t find foreign material contamination in their product aren’t so lucky. Manufacturers unable to detect foreign material contamination most likely don’t have the processes necessary to find it and risk sending contaminated product into distribution. Often, manufacturers don’t have in-house x-ray food inspection systems in place to resolve a wide range of foreign material problems.
What happens when product goes on hold?
On-hold product is costly. When product is bracketed and put on hold for potential foreign material contamination, manufacturers face limited options for rework. FlexXray’s process provides an accurate, cost-effective and fast solution through best-in-class x-ray food inspection equipment, but many manufacturers aren’t aware of this option.
The Top 3 Most Common Resolutions for Product Holds Without Outside Inspection:
- Disposal: Manufacturers will sometimes simply throw out the product to eliminate the hassle, losing product and profits. They will then be faced with lost time and increased costs to remake that production run.
- Rework: Food manufacturers can attempt to shut down a product line and rework the product internally against the facility’s core competencies. (Food manufacturing companies are set up to make food, not find foreign material contaminants!)
- Distribution: Some food manufacturers decide to ship product out risking recalls, lawsuits and lost brand reputation. This is exceedingly rare, but it does happen and is usually the most costly.
Each of these options isn’t efficient, cost-effective or ideal for food safety. There is a better option: inspection through FlexXray.
Why FlexXray Inspection Services?
FlexXray is an offline service that complements inline inspection capabilities. We are not a replacement for inline equipment or processes as those are necessary to meet the FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act (FMSA) regulations and are essential to monitoring food. Our inspection has different capabilities and different core processes. Comparing the two is like comparing apples and oranges. Think of us as a way for your team to go the extra mile for your brand and your customers. As an addition to your HACCP Plan, you are ensuring that the product you are sending to the store shelves is free of foreign material contaminants and will not be put on foreign material contamination holds.
FlexXray’s x-ray food inspection goes beyond finding contaminants.
At FlexXray, our x-ray inspection systems run at a slower speed and lower power than inline equipment, capable of custom calibrating to find even smaller foreign materials with accuracy and precision.
FlexXray’s inspection offers an extreme level of accuracy, repeatability and efficiency, that helps manufacturers to meet the highest safety standards for their products.
FlexXray’s x-ray food inspection is an extremely cost-effective method in helping food manufacturers save their products, profits and brand reputations. The savings are often significant compared to remaking or reworking internally.
FlexXray’s inspection services help save time, money and product. Manufacturers can feel confident in the safety of their product with the help of outside x-ray inspection food companies, often salvaging 98% of their on-hold product.
As technology in the food industry becomes more sophisticated, so will innovations in FlexXray’s food x-ray inspection—and so will the level of food safety. At FlexXray, we pride ourselves on being the most trusted x-ray inspection company in North America.
