Ensuring food safety throughout the supply chain is critically important. X-ray technology plays a key role by detecting foreign objects that could otherwise go unnoticed. Here's an overview of how x-rays are used for quality control in food processing.
Detection of Contaminants
X-ray machines can identify potentially hazardous items like glass shards, bone or metal fragments that may inadvertently end up mixed in with foods during production. This protects both brand reputation and public health.
Applications
Common uses include inspection of bulk ingredients, whole or partial meat and poultry cuts, seafood, packaged goods and more. X-rays penetrate many materials to provide a clear view inside multi-layered or dense products.
Advantages Over Other Methods
X-rays are non-destructive, allowing inspected items to proceed down the line unaffected. They're also faster than manual inspection methods for high-volume facilities. Automated detection software flags issues quickly.
Meeting Regulations
To comply with strict industry regulations, food manufacturers rely on x-ray screening stages for documented due diligence. This helps avoid costly recalls in the event of contamination incidents.
System Safeguards
Low-dose technology ensures negligible radiation exposure for food, workers and the environment. Strict operational controls and validation testing also maintain optimal machine performance.
By providing a crucial safeguard through advanced imaging capabilities, x-ray inspection plays an invaluable role in the modern food manufacturing quality assurance toolkit. It helps keep consumers safe from invisible threats.
