4 Benefits of X-Ray Food Inspection

Food safety inspections help avert safety and quality risks. During food processing, a manufacturer's primary concern is ascertaining that their products are fit for consumption while adhering to industry standards. While food manufacturers often use metal detectors during food inspection, they're not as effective because they cannot detect non-metallic contaminants. Thankfully, X-ray systems can do much more than metal detectors to ensure food safety. Discussed below are four benefits of X-ray food inspection.

1.  Effective identification of food contaminants

It’s every manufacturer’s responsibility to ensure their food items don't contain harmful physical contaminants, including glass and metal that can hurt consumers. These foreign objects can be in various production phases based on your production processes. Using X-ray technology in food inspection can be rewarding as it detects even the smallest foreign particles, preventing potential contamination.

Thanks to X-ray systems' unmatched ability to detect physical contaminants in unpackaged or packaged products, manufacturers can ensure consumer protection. With the help of a guide on choosing an X-ray machine, you can find a screening system that meets your needs.

2.  Cuts costs

An X-ray system is a significant investment. However, it can cut costs in the long term. Implementing food safety measures, such as X-ray systems, helps enhance quality, enabling you to eliminate risks. An X-ray machine allows you to minimize waste in your company. By catching faults early enough in the production process, you can keep materials and food products from being disposed of because of bad quality.

With X-ray technology, you can prevent line re-runs that result in wasted staff resources and energy. This facilitates quick turnaround times and productivity. If your company releases hazardous or low-quality food items in the market, it risks food recalls. This may lead to paying over $10 million in costs. Fortunately, an X-ray machine can help ensure only safe, prime-quality products are released into the market.

3.  Supports food traceability

X-ray machines do more than just scanning products for contaminants. Investing in this technology offers you, the manufacturer, a multi-tasking defense line within one device. X-ray machines can keep product details for traceability purposes at each production level:

• Ingredients and raw materials: Ingredients and raw materials get to manufacturing companies from several sources and vendors. As such, implementing pre-processing contaminant detection is essential. X-ray machines can scan incoming ingredients to catch data on when, what, and who inspected the product
• Packaged items: To ensure an end consumer gets contaminant-free food items in their desired condition, put an X-ray machine near the end of the production line. X-ray systems can scan boxed or packaged products across various product types while standing as the final line of defense before your food products are released into the market
• In process: Foreign items are usually initiated in process on processing or manufacturing lines. An X-ray machine scans products and records if they’ve been validated

4.  They ensure regulatory compliance

X-ray inspection machines enable manufacturers to remain compliant with retailer codes of practice, which call for an official X-ray food inspection program to be implemented by granting supplier approval. An X-ray system can help compliance with:

• International Food Standard
• Safe Quality Food 2000 code
• Standard for Food Safety

Endnote

X-ray systems are key to ensuring food safety. Consider incorporating X-ray technology in your food inspection to reap these benefits.