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Product inspection: maximum productivity, 100% compliance

Source:Food Bev Asia Release Date:2017-03-23 703
Food & Beverage
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NEIL GILES* explains how product inspection technology can help bakery and confectionery manufacturers to remain compliant and productive

FOR THE global bakery and confectionery industries the outlook to 2025 is very positive. Steady growth is forecast across the board, with Asia Pacific remaining the largest market – with a CAGR of 6.5% to 2025 in terms of production (turnover) – and the rest of the world following closely behind. Increasing disposable income, growing urbanisation and the rising trade market are key factors driving the sector, along with a growing trend for convenient and indulgent products.

Manufacturers are facing high demand as a result, and the thirst for choice by consumers means productivity is very much under the spotlight in order to deliver the range of products required to satisfy production schedules. In addition, the regulatory landscape continues to broaden, with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) continuing to evolve in the US, for example, and the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) – not to mention a potential shift from the traditional Hazard Analysis and Critical Controls (HACCP) approach to that of Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls (HARPC).

As manufacturers ramp up production, consumer health and safety must be protected at the same time in order to prevent both physical harm and harm to brand reputation – which can be considerable if a product recall becomes necessary. To this end, manufacturers in the bakery and confectionery sectors are relying more and more on product inspection technology and the wide-ranging benefits it can bring to busy production lines.

Advanced contaminant detection
As with all food manufacturing processes, there is a risk of contaminants entering the product. For bakery and confectionery it could be anything from glass and metal fragments to mineral stone. The previously mentioned HACCP framework requires manufacturers to review operations to identify points in the production process where contamination could potentially occur. If a risk is identified, then a Critical Control Point (CCP) needs to be established and product inspection should take place to mitigate the risk.

Where metal is the only identified risk for contamination, a metal detector would be recommended. Should there be multiple foreign body types that pose a potential risk; x-ray systems provide broader detection capabilities. Both product types are available to suit a wide range of applications – from pipelined and packaged to bulk and loose flow products. Automated rejection systems can be utilised to remove contaminated product from the line when identified without stopping the production process.

Importantly, both metal detectors and x-ray inspection systems can carry out contaminant detection inline at high speeds – meaning manufacturers do not have to reduce line speeds and therefore productivity levels. One hundred percent of product is inspected and the associated inspection data captured, which not only puts manufacturers on a strong footing when doing business with major retailers, but also provides due diligence information should it be required in the event of a product recall, for example.

Sometimes shaped chocolates can bounce out of line, while stray pieces of chocolate can easily compromise the seal. This can be inspected manually, but with an X-ray machine, 100% inspection of seals is guaranteed.


Quality is everything
The bakery and snacks sector presents many challenges to manufacturers in terms of quality control, and product inspection systems are invaluable to ensure that only items in perfect condition reach the retail supply chain.

Product in seal inspection is one element to consider when dealing with packaged sealed products, and there are a number of examples of how product inspection has helped to alleviate challenges in this area. A customer in Sweden, a producer of a favorite chocolate in the region, had decided to package heart-shaped chocolates in sealed trays of clear plastic. Shaped chocolates can sometimes bounce out of line, while stray pieces of chocolate can easily compromise the seal, and inspecting by eye proved to be a labor intensive and fallible process. By installing a specially adapted x-ray system, the customer was able to ensure 100% inspection of seals, while the operators previously designated to carry out visual checks could be reassigned to focus on other activities.

X-ray systems are also capable of carrying out zoned fill-level checks, for products that are presented in defined compartments, to ensure each component of a package is correctly in place. Missing or broken items can also be identified, as well as incorrect fill levels – which can lead to significant savings if products are being overfilled on the line, and to improved customer satisfaction if under-filled. A good example of fill level inspection is in the manufacture of jam doughnuts and pre-made garlic bread, where missing jam or butter can be identified and individual products rejected.

Chocolate bars go through Mettler Toledo’s inspection system. 

Checkweighers are also often placed on bakery and confectionery lines to control fill levels, and can be built to meet specific applications, environments, regulatory and industry requirements. Products almost always have to comply with strict weights and measures parameters and the ability to check weights accurately is vital to quality control and compliance. Advanced checkweighers are able to identify and reject products that fall outside of the set parameters, and can also feed back directly to the filling machines if it is a consistent issue – a feature that is also possible with x-ray systems.

Finally, in addition to fill level inspection capabilities, vision inspection systems are often used to ensure correct labelling, coding and marking on finished items along with the inclusion of lot numbers and best before dates. 1D and 2D barcodes can be detected and readability checked, as well as the presence and quality of graphics, label quality, position and the identification of any obvious packaging defects. It is also critical for manufacturers to check that the correct allergen declarations are made on labels to ensure the safety of consumers and avoid potentially costly product recalls.

Working with experts ensures maximum productivity
Product inspection is a key component in modern bakery and confectionery manufacturing operations, and having a solid inspection program in place is vital to both safety and quality. Working with an expert supplier is highly recommended, as making the wrong decision with regard to technology could have a serious impact on the total cost of ownership (TCO) of the equipment and also the return on investment (ROI).

Through working in partnership, product inspection experts will be able to make informed recommendations as to how to extract the very last ounce of productivity from their systems, providing at the same time an ongoing support network to ensure that everything runs smoothly and as expected. Having complete trust in line equipment is paramount, and gives manufacturers the confidence to focus on production – leaving inspection to the experts.

*Neil Giles is Marketing Communications Manager, Mettler-Toledo Product Inspection, Division of Mettler-Toledo, based in the UK

NIKE AIR HUARACHE
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