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.
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.