At Technolinks Packaging, as a supplier of advanced quality control solutions, we understand that the presence of foreign bodies in food is one of the most critical quality and health hazards for the food industry.
Sources of Foreign Bodies
Foreign bodies can appear at any stage of the production process:
- Raw materials: stones, bones, insects
- Production equipment: fragments of metal, plastic, rubber, or glass
Human factor: jewelry, clothing debris, tools
Packaging systems: parts from caps, films, labels
Detection Technologies from Technolinks Packaging
Ideal for: Ferrous and non-ferrous metals.
- Fast, reliable, and suitable for products in flow
- Not affected by packaging
– Limitations: Do not detect glass, stone, or plastic
Ideal for: Metals, bones, glass, dense plastic, stones.
- Operate regardless of packaging material (even metallic foil)
- High sensitivity to a wide range of particles (glass, stone, large plastic pieces)
- Simultaneous inspection of fill levels, broken products, etc.
Ideal for: Visually identifiable foreign bodies, color/shape discrepancies.
- Detection via high-resolution cameras
- Can integrate AI for advanced inspections
- Combine with OCR, expiration date verification, label integrity checks
Approach to Quality Control
Choosing the right technology for each production line depends on factors such as cost, product packaging (e.g., metallic film), and the inspection specifications set by the end customer.
Below, we analyze the key differences between metal detectors and x-ray systems in a comparison table.
Comparison of Foreign Body Detection Technologies
Best Practice: Combined Approach Using Metal Detection and X-Ray
In food safety, no single technology is all-powerful. Therefore, a combined use of metal detectors and x-ray systems offers the comprehensive coverage required by the modern industry. There are cases where metal detectors are more effective than x-ray systems, especially in scenarios like small aluminum fragments or metal dust, which is why the combined approach is considered the best practice.
Technolinks Packaging has extensive experience in developing advanced foreign body detection systems, offering comprehensive solutions that integrate metal detectors, x-ray systems, and machine vision technologies. With a focus on compliance with international food safety standards (IFS, BRC, HACCP), the company provides customized solutions for every stage of the production process – from raw material inspection to the final packaged product.
Its technologies, especially the specially designed detectors for free-fall applications and metallic film packaging, ensure maximum sensitivity and reliability, while the strategy of combining multiple inspection methods ensures complete coverage of all potential risks, maintaining production line efficiency.
