About Metal Detection

The safety of food is important; many food scandals over the years have made the focus for safe food even bigger. Add to that many recalls of products and it can become a costly affair for a food processer. All this has put more and more focus on food safety – not only from the public but equally important from retailers that serve the same customers. It is all about protecting the consumer and about protecting your brand.

Food contamination usually comes from one of four sources: raw materials, personal effects, maintenance or in-plant processing. By catching any physical contaminants before products leave the factory and end up on supermarket shelves, product inspection systems can help to protect the welfare of consumers, uphold brand reputation, reduce the risk of costly product recalls and help manufacturers with regulatory compliance.

The need for metal detection systems in the food industry is recognized by most manufacturers and processors as an essential area for focus in any efficient quality regime. In an increasingly competitive market place, driven by ever-changing customer needs, tightening of industry standards and the growth of regulatory and legislative bodies, the importance of effective metal detection has been escalated in recent years.

However, merely installing metal detectors alone will not necessarily guarantee that a metal-free product is produced unless the installations form part of an effective overall metal detection program.

This guide has been written to assist manufacturers in the setting up of such a program.

An effective metal detection program can provide protection against product failure and recalls, help to maintain hard fought supplier certification status and reduce overall operating costs. The program can also support the ability to prove that reasonable precautions and due diligence have been applied in the manufacturing process in the event of a legal claim situation.