X-ray technologies debut in Southeast Asia

AS harmonization of food controls and product inspection across ASEAN markets strengthens¹, companies in the region have to be ready to comply.

The marked growth of packaged food across ASEAN markets² and adherence with Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Point (HACCP) methodology will become crucial in securing intra-ASEAN trade deals, therefore integrating product inspection technologies is vital to future export success. 

In Southeast Asia, Eagle Product Inspection is marketing its latest x-ray and metal detection solutions via ProPak Asia 2015 which is held from 17-20 June at BITEC in Bangkok, Thailand.

“We are experiencing a growing demand from ASEAN manufacturers and suppliers for inspection equipment in order for them to supply both local retail and regional export markets,” said Somchai Chakornsiri, head Eagle Product Inspection, Asia-Pacific. “International exporting has become more complex with US and European food safety regulations tightening around processing safety. With food exports to the US and the EU reaching $4.2 billion³ and $12.7 billion⁴, respectively, from ASEAN countries in 2013, compliance to export is only possible with a credible product inspection program delivered by advanced quality assurance technology, such as x-ray or metal detection.”

At stand 5C41, Mr Somchai and the Eagle team will be on site to share their experience and knowledge on metal detection and x-ray solutions for food manufacturers working with ready meals, bulk products, produce, bakery and dairy foods both packaged and unpackaged.

Eagle™ Tall PRO XSDV  ASEAN manufacturers are familiar with working with cans and bottles as primary packaging for processed food, particularly for domestic markets. Hard to examine places like the side ridges in cans are easier to inspect with the Tall PRO XSDV, thanks to its dual view detection capability. The machine can perform multiple quality checks in addition to inspection, such as seal integrity, all compacted within a slim line design.

With dual view detection capability, PRO XSDV can perform multiple quality checks on bottles and cans

Eagle™ Pack 430 PRO  With Asia fast becoming the largest market for flexible packaging⁵, more manufacturers are looking for equipment that will inspect mid-sized packages and products such as packaged rice, frozen processed seafood and bags of savory crackers. The Pack 430 PRO performs superior contaminant detection, plus provides on screen self-diagnostics, full multi-lane and multi-view capabilities and dynamic belt speed adjustments.

For packaged products, the Pack 430 PRO performs superior contaminant detection

Eagle™ H-Series Metal Detector  Sometimes metal is the only contaminant that a supplier contends with but that coupled with harsh processing conditions, presents unique challenges for inspection technology. As such, the H-Series Metal Detector is designed for all environments. It can be used to inspect dry and wet products in both packaged and unpackaged formats, offering manufacturers the flexibility they require.

The flexible H-Series Metal Detector can inspect dry and wet products in both packaged and unpackaged formats

Eagle™ MDX   With the relentless growth of snack foods across Asia, physical contamination detection of these complex foods becomes more significant for manufacturers as the density of a contaminant can be similar to the original nature of a product, resulting in false rejects. Using propriety software developed by Eagle that can be installed on x-ray inspection machines, MDX uses the chemical composition (atomic number) of a material to discriminate between physical contaminants and the original product, meaning previously undetectable contaminants can be removed from the production line.

Eagle SimulTask™   Eagle’s proprietary advanced image analysis software is the back-bone to all its x-ray technologies. SimulTask™ allows manufacturers to “set and forget” on the production line, boosts x-ray system capabilities and gives easy access to reports and statistics for trading compliance and, in the event of a product recall, to prove due diligence.

References:

¹ http://www.asean.org/news/asean-secretariat-news/item/harmonising-food-control-requirements-in-asean-to-remove-trade-barriers
² http://www.agr.gc.ca/eng/industry-markets-and-trade/statistics-and-market-information/by-region/southeast-asia/modern-grocery-retailing-in-major-asean-markets-indonesia-thailand-malaysia-singapore-and-the-philippines/?id=1410083148767
³ https://ustr.gov/issue-areas/trade-organizations/association-southeast-asian-nations-asean/us-asean-10-trade-and
⁴ http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2006/september/tradoc_113471
⁵ http://www.packaging-trends.com/asia-the-fastest-growing-packaging-market-in-the-world/