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View additional product information for NextGuard™ X-Ray Detection Systems - FAQs (NEXTGUARDPRO, NEXTGUARDC500, NEXTGUARDC330)
29 product FAQs found
X-ray inspection of packaged and bulk food products is proven to be extremely safe. There is no documented evidence of adverse health effects of X-rays on equipment operators, the food products that travel through the equipment, and ultimately, the pet consuming those products.
Since wet or moist pet foods have a high product effect, X-ray inspection is the best technology to detect contaminants such as metal, glass, stone, and other dense foreign objects.
Metal detection works very well with dry/kibble pet food and treats that do not have a product effect that wet or moist pet foods do. Metal detection equipment provides reliable, cost-effective protection from even the smallest metal contaminants found in pet food production anywhere in a process. If the packaging material contains metal, X-ray inspection would be the right choice. In addition, if there are other contaminant concerns such as stone, high density plastic or glass, X-ray inspection systems will detect these contaminants as well.
There are several points in the pet food production process that benefit from food safety inspection (metal detectors, X-ray inspection) and checkweighing technology. Here are some examples:
- Incoming ingredients. Large pet food producers may require that their vendors meet specific HACCP objectives and provide proof of inspection. Even with those methodologies in place, some will also inspect incoming ingredients. Typical incoming inspection consists of drop through and bulk flow metal detectors.
- After mixing/rendering. Processing equipment such as an industrial blender or mixer will age over time and potentially introduce small particles or shavings of metal into the product being processed. It is important to position inspection equipment after this process equipment to catch any contaminants as early in production as possible, so it doesn't affect final product quality as well as damage equipment further downstream. The inspection equipment type will depend on the product type and whether its formulation creates a “product effect”. Wet or moist pet food products are more suited toward X-ray equipment, while metal detectors perform well with dry or kibble type pet food products.
- After filling/packing. The recommended inspection equipment type is dependent on the packaging material or combination of materials that have been selected for this product. Metal components such as aluminum foil trays, metal cans, aluminum foil bags or metalized firm structures are much more suited to X-ray inspection. Flexible materials without a metal component, paperboard folding cartons, bags or pouches work very well with either metal detectors or X-ray inspection systems. At this stage, checkweighers are frequently used in combination with a metal detector or X-ray inspection system to ensure product weight matches information printed on the product label.
- After case packing. After case packing is another good inspection point as this is the last stop before the finished products leave the facility. The recommended inspection equipment type is dependent on the packaging material of the individual product. This is typically done via X-ray inspection. In addition to contaminant detection, the X-ray system's ability to detect missing pieces will help ensure that the specified count has been loaded into the case. In certain situations, especially when X-ray inspection is not included at the end of the line, checkweighers are placed here to ensure that the proper number of packages are contained inside the case.
“Product effect” occurs when a product has a conductive property which affects the magnetic field generated by the food metal detector. This is typically found in high salt, high moisture product environments. For example, wet cat food will show significantly more product effect due to its high moisture and salt content. This negatively impacts the metal detector's ability to distinguish between actual non-ferrous metal contaminants and the false signal given by the combination of typical product attributes. In these situations, industrial X-ray inspection equipment will produce significantly better results since product effect is not a factor.
Checkweighers do not detect physical contaminants but they can be combined with food metal detectors and X-ray inspection systems that do detect contaminants. Food metal detection systems provide reliable, cost-effective protection from even the smallest metal contaminants found anywhere in a food production process. Food X-ray inspection systems provide protection from metal, glass, stone and other dense foreign objects for almost any type of packaged, bulk, or piped product.
Food manufacturers can find metallic and non-metallic foreign objects and eliminate “wet” product effects common with metal detectors with the Thermo Scientific NextGuard X-ray Detection Systems (https://www.thermofisher.com/order/catalog/product/NEXTGUARDPRO). Designed for a wide variety of food applications, NextGuard systems offer enhanced capabilities to inspect packaged products for missing pieces or components, under and over-fills, and other quality problems.
There are several points in the baked goods/snack foods production process that benefit from food safety inspection using metal detectors (https://www.thermofisher.com/us/en/home/industrial/food-beverage/food-weighing-inspection/metal-detectors.html), X-ray inspection (https://www.thermofisher.com/us/en/home/industrial/food-beverage/food-weighing-inspection/x-ray-detection-inspection-systems.html), or checkweighing (https://www.thermofisher.com/us/en/home/industrial/food-beverage/food-weighing-inspection/checkweighers.html)technology. They are listed below:
1. Incoming ingredients. Most of the larger bakers demand that their vendors meet specific HACCP objectives. They may require that metal detectors be used, provide proof of inspection, etc. Even with those methodologies in place, some will also inspect incoming ingredients. Typical incoming inspection consists of drop through and bulk flow metal detectors.
2. Dough stage. Before the product is baked or otherwise processed, this is an ideal location to conduct upstream inspection. Metal detectors are the equipment of choice because metal-based packaging is not part of the process at this stage. Bar products are another example. They can be examined right after sheeting, or after the individual bars are cut, or before the product goes into the wrapper. Alternatively, they can also be inspected after packaging.
3. After baking/before packaging. The inspection equipment type will depend on the product type and whether or not its formulation creates a “product effect”. Warm, moist, high salt content products such as breads are more suited toward X-ray equipment, while metal detectors perform well with typically-inert snack foods. Checkweighers can also be located at this stage to make sure that the product weight falls within the min/max specifications and will not create problems (such as line stoppages due to oversize) at the packaging stage. Checkweighers can also be used to confirm that all of the late-stage filling components, such as icing and other toppings, have been properly dispensed.
4. After packaging. The recommended inspection equipment type is dependent on the packaging material or combination of materials that have been selected for this product. Metal components such as aluminum foil trays or metalized firm structures are much more suited to X-ray inspection. Flexible materials without a metal component, paperboard folding cartons and/or a combination of the two, work very well with metal detectors. Checkweighers are frequently located at this stage of the operation.
5. After case packing. Some bakers or processors prefer to inspect after the final packaging stage: case packing. This is typically done via X-ray inspection, provided that the unit is large enough to accompany a case. In addition to inspection, the X-ray system's ability to detect missing pieces will help ensure that the specified count has been loaded into the case. In certain situations, especially when X-ray inspection is not included at the end of the line, checkweighers are placed here to ensure that the proper number of packages are contained inside the case.
In the case of snack bars and other similar snack products, food X-ray inspection (https://www.thermofisher.com/us/en/home/industrial/food-beverage/food-weighing-inspection/x-ray-detection-inspection-systems.html) can be used for spotting missing or broken pieces.
Although most snack foods don't have the “product effect” issues found in baked items, spotting contaminants is challenged by the packaging material of choice. The majority of snack foods marketed today are packaged in metalized film which is formed into a bag via a form-fill-seal (f/f/s) machine or flow wrapper. This means that these packages are not good candidates for metal detectors. Rejection of products in the food metal detector equipment is also challenging because packages tend to be small. With these process and material obstacles in place, food X-ray inspection equipment (https://www.thermofisher.com/us/en/home/industrial/food-beverage/food-weighing-inspection/x-ray-detection-inspection-systems.html) is the ideal solution to address snack food inspection challenges.
Food metal detectors (https://www.thermofisher.com/us/en/home/industrial/food-beverage/food-weighing-inspection/metal-detectors.html) work extremely well with frozen baked goods which no longer have a product effect that “just out of the oven” versions do. The challenge is to make sure that the freezer is efficient and is holding the product at the correct temperature. If a product isn't completely frozen, its unfrozen center will have a tendency to look like a piece of metal to the detector.
In addition, many cake and pie products are frozen immediately after production, so some bakers choose to inspect after the items are case packed using food X-ray inspection (https://www.thermofisher.com/us/en/home/industrial/food-beverage/food-weighing-inspection/x-ray-detection-inspection-systems.html) equipment that can accommodate the case size.
The recommended food safety inspection machinery type for cakes and pies is dependent on the packaging materials used. Since most pies are in aluminum foil pans, food metal detectors (https://www.thermofisher.com/us/en/home/industrial/food-beverage/food-weighing-inspection/metal-detectors.html) can be useful to examine ingredients and dough. However, after the pie has been placed into the pan and/or folding carton, X-ray inspection (https://www.thermofisher.com/us/en/home/industrial/food-beverage/food-weighing-inspection/x-ray-detection-inspection-systems.html) should be used. Cakes also sometimes rely on aluminum foil pans, folding cartons, and metalized film, so the inspection solution recommended is also X-ray.
Since bagel and pretzel products are typically sold in multiples, the objective is both contamination detection and ability to verify count. Additionally, pieces can break off during the production process. Food X-ray inspection (https://www.thermofisher.com/us/en/home/industrial/food-beverage/food-weighing-inspection/x-ray-detection-inspection-systems.html) is the best technology because it can be deployed to spot broken pieces of pretzels or missing components (multipack counts).
The ideal time to run the loaf of bread through the X-ray equipment (https://www.thermofisher.com/us/en/home/industrial/food-beverage/food-weighing-inspection/x-ray-detection-inspection-systems.html) is prior to bagging. Bread is typically conveyed through the X-ray machine with its longest dimension leading. At the point of entry, there is a lead shielding curtain, which sometimes causes the loaf to roll on its side as it passes through. This is not problematic for the X-ray machine; however, incorrect orientation can negatively impact the bagging operation that immediately follows. On specialty bread lines, where volumes and production speeds are slower, loaves can be positioned so that the short dimension leads. Entering the machine that way minimizes the curtain's contact with the bread, thereby preventing loaf roll over.
“Product effect” occurs when a product has a conductive property which affects the magnetic field generated by the food metal detector (https://www.thermofisher.com/us/en/home/industrial/food-beverage/food-weighing-inspection/metal-detectors.html). This is typically found in high salt, high moisture product environments. For example, warm bread coming out of the oven, coupled with its salt content, tends to have a high product effect. This negatively impacts the metal detector's ability to distinguish between actual non-ferrous metal contaminants and the false signal given by the combination of typical product attributes. This is further complicated by the varying densities, air bubbles, and other physical characteristics of each loaf, since no two loaves are exactly the same (there also are variations between bread types). In these situations, food X-ray inspection equipment will produce significantly better results since product effect is not a factor.
X-ray inspection of packaged and bulk food products is proven to be extremely safe. There is no documented evidence of adverse health effects of X-rays on equipment operators, the food products that travel through the equipment, and ultimately, the consumer of those products.
For milk powders, infant formula, and whey protein concentrates, X-ray inspection is best to detect contaminants, but also to ensure that components such as measuring scoops are present. Drop-through metal detectors, which have excellent sensitivity, can also also used for this application.
Like cottage cheese and other fresh dairy products, sour cream is considered conductive, generating a “product effect”. Because of this, X-ray inspection is a better option than metal detection. Also, checkweighers are effective for these product lines in ensuring that profits are not given away by exceeding the label weight, or that the package contains less product than the label indicates.
Like sour cream and other “fresh dairy” products, cottage cheese is considered conductive, generating a “product effect”. Because of this, X-ray inspection is a better option than metal detection. Also, checkweighers are effective for these product lines in ensuring that profits are not given away by exceeding the label weight, or that the package contains less product than the label indicates.
X-ray equipment may be the better choice for pre-weighed packaged cheese in single-serve, sliced, and shredded options. In addition to detecting foreign objects, X-ray systems can measure slice thickness and count the number of individually wrapped cheese sticks. X-ray inspection is also effective for Swiss cheese and other non-uniform products.
To verify that the stick is in the right position, or is even in the package, an X-ray inspection system is ideally suited for the task.
Many yogurt products use an aluminum foil or metalized lid to aid freshness and prevent tampering, making them best suited to X-ray inspection.
Pipeline X-ray inspection is the best methodology for dairy inspection, as formulations can be complex and frequently modified. This can negatively affect metal detector performance due to varying product effect.
These are the four best places in the dairy production process that benefit from inspection using metal detectors, X-ray equipment, or checkweighing technology:
- Incoming ingredients. Drop-through and bulk-flow metal detectors are ideal choices for dairies wanting to inspect incoming ingredients such as powders, fruits, or nuts before incorporating them into the finished product.
- Liquid flow. Metal detectors work in pipeline applications for novelties and other liquid-fill products.
- After filling/packaging. The dairy product inspection equipment type will depend on the product type and its potential for product effect. Since many dairy products have high moisture content, they are more suited for X-ray inspection at this stage. Checkweighers can be located here to make sure that the product weight is within minimum/maximum specifications with an option for electronic real-time feedback to the filler to adjust production on the fly.
- After case packing. Some dairies can benefit from inspection after final packaging: in-case packing. This is typically done via X-ray inspection if the case is less than 8 inches high and the machine's aperture is large enough to accommodate a case. The X-ray system can be used to confirm that the specified count is loaded into the case. In certain situations, checkweighers can perform this latter function.
Countries around the world have regulatory standards to ensure X-ray safety. These regulations are in place to make sure that the X-ray equipment can be used by technicians and operators in all possible conditions. Some examples of key regulations by country are shown here:
United States: Code of Federal Regulations 21 Part 1020.40 (cabinet X-rays)
Canada: RED (Radiation Emitting Devices) Act
United Kingdom: IRR 1999
France: NCF-74-100
Spain: UNE 73-302
China: GB18871-2002
Thermo Scientific X-ray inspection machines are always certified to these standards before selling and installing systems in these regions.
In the course of our daily lives, we all are subject to naturally occurring background radiation. In fact, natural radiation constitutes about half of the 620 mrems of radiation an average person experiences annually, according to the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission. As we noted in the question above, the International Commission on Radiological Protection also states that people can absorb 5,000 mrems annually (8X the natural dose) before radiation poses a health risk.
To put X-ray exposure during food production into perspective, here is the average radiation dose people receive from some common life experiences:
Full body CT Scan: 1,000 mrem
Natural/Cosmic: 310 mrem/year
Trans-Atlantic Flight: 2.5 mrem
Dental X-ray: 1.5 mrem
Food X-ray Inspection: 0.1 mrem/hour*
**When in operation, food inspection systems can emit this maximum level of radiation per hour, typically very close to the input/output of the aperture only. Because human operators spend limited time in this location, they would receive a much lesser (usually zero) radiation dose in an average work shift.
Download the white paper, X-ray Inspection of Food Products: The Safety Facts You Need to Know (http://assets.thermofisher.com/TFS-Assets/CAD/Application-Notes/White-Paper-Xray-Food-Safety-Final.pdf).
Although food X-ray systems generate radiation during their normal use, a worker standing at the control panel of an X-ray food inspection machine will likely not receive any radiation from the machine due to shielding. In fact, these machines emit 0.1 millirems (mrems) per hour or less and that emission is typically at the inlet or outlet where workers are not present. Multiplying 0.1 mrems per hour over the course of a 40-hour work week and a 50-week work year would imply a worker could be exposed to a total of 200 additional mrems per year in the worst case, which is significantly below the guideline for maximum exposure. The International Commission on Radiological Protection also states that people can absorb 5,000 mrems annually (8X the natural dose) before radiation poses a health risk.
Food X-ray inspection systems do not use potentially unsafe radioactive materials to generate the X-ray images. Rather, they rely on tubes that electrically generate the X-ray beam. The beam is directed at the object it is inspecting and a digital detector on the other side of that object creates an image for analysis. One of the advantages of this system, as opposed to one using a radioactive source, is that the X-ray energy stops immediately once the tube is turned off.
With that said, food X-ray systems do generate ionizing radiation so it is important to understand what levels are considered safe, what regulations might apply, what safety devices are used to meet these regulations, and what is done during manufacturing and installation to assure complete safety in all regards. But the manufactures take all measures to limit the amount of exposure by requiring mechanical shielding and curtains at the inlet and outlet of the machines to further reduce the amount of radiation leakage. It's important that customers regularly check the curtains and replace them as they become worn.
Food X-ray inspection systems (https://www.thermofisher.com/us/en/home/industrial/food-beverage/food-weighing-inspection/x-ray-detection-inspection-systems.html) are based on the density of the product and the contaminant. X-rays are simply light waves that we can't see. X-rays have a very short wavelength, which corresponds to very high energy. As an X-ray penetrates a food product, it loses some of its energy. A dense area, such as a contaminant, will reduce the energy even further. As the X-ray exits the product, it reaches a sensor. The sensor then converts the energy signal into an image of the interior of the food product. Foreign matter appears as a darker shade of grey and helps identify foreign contaminants.
If you want to learn more about how food x-ray inspection systems work, download our free e-book, A Practical Guide to Metal Detection and X-ray Inspection of Foods (https://www.thermofisher.com/us/en/home/global/forms/industrial/metal-detector-ebook-registration-form.html?icid=CAD_MM_PI_FoodBevLearningCenter_XrayFAQs).
Most raw foods and ingredients originate in a natural environment such as a field, orchard, or farm. As the food is harvested, foreign objects such as stones or glass can be picked up and transported into the processing plant. Additionally, objects found in manufacturing facilities, such as metal and some very hard plastics can find their way into the processing stream as the result of machinery or process failures. These risks and associated costs have driven more demanding detection policies worldwide. Food processors are integrating X-ray detection as part of an overall food safety program to help ensure that the end product is free from unwanted contaminants before it reaches the consumer.