Packaging

RETAIL PACKAGING CONFECTIONERY & SNACKS
snack secure
SARAH KETCHIN, MD AT FORTRESS TECHNOLOGY,
EXPLORES THE VARIED CHALLENGES OF INSPECTING SNACK
PACKAGING FOR CONTAMINANTS AND THE OPTIONS
AVAILABLE…
FM Software is backwards
compatible and known to improve
detection performance by 40%
Midnight cereal snacks, energy sports bars and
on-the-go breakfast replacements are shaping the
snacks market with UK consumption expected to reach
£3.8bn by 2016. Given this increasing demand for
healthy convenience, snacks producers are turning to
efficiency driven automation and utilising the latest
machinery to deliver consumer satisfaction and maintain
safe, high-quality snacks.
To maintain freshness, metalised polypropylene is
the snack industry’s standard for packaging. For many
manufacturers that deploy metal detectors, ferrous
in-foil detectors can be used. Settings can also be
adjusted, so foil laminated packaging is rarely an issue
for today’s advanced metal detectors. There’s also the
alternative of passing product through a metal detection
system before the packaging process commences.
Contrary to popular belief, metal detection remains
a modern day solution. As with any technology, metal
detection hardware and software are evolving all the
time and these developments keep pace with evolving
retailer requirements.
Typically, snack manufacturers will have more than
one metal detector between the beginning and end of
the production and packing process, corresponding to
identified Critical Control Points (CCPs). Many will install
a system as close as possible to the end of line after
primary packaging, typically bagging with snacks. If that
isn’t feasible, just before the bagging stage is also
effective. In these situations, loose product such as chips
or crisps can be channelled through a vertical ‘throat’
detector.
It’s also likely that manufacturers will want to check
incoming ingredients before they reach the processing
stage. This might be advisable for a number of reasons.
Firstly, snack producers will want to identify the source
of any metal contamination, which may, of course,
include raw materials. Secondly, the sensitivity achieved
at this stage may be higher than with finished or
packaged product. This may come down to the aperture
of the metal detector or the relative sensitivity obtained
with unprocessed and processed ingredients.
Corresponding to critical control points a
snacks manufacturer will have more than
one metal detector on a line
METAL HEAD
So why choose metal detection rather than x-ray?
The answer will depend on the application. X-ray
remains far more expensive, both in terms of capital
cost and running costs. Depending on the application
size and complexity, expect to pay in the region of
£35,000 to £40,000 to install x-ray, compared with
£4000 to £18,000 for metal detection.
Integrating a metal detector into a snack
processing or packing line is relatively straightforward.
Consideration needs to be given to ‘product effect’,
although with today’s technology this ‘phasing’ or
calibration is an automatic process.
In recent years, retailers have become more riskaverse
when it comes to food safety and quality,
increasingly imposing their own stringent protocols
and standards on suppliers. As well as ensuring that
the required form of inspection is in place, to the
Snacks are inspected at critical control points during the
production process
necessary specification, the retailer ‘safety net’ will
also often include assurances about regular system
checks to ensure that all QA systems – including
metal detection – are functioning correctly.
As one might expect, the sensitivity of metal
detector systems keeps improving, which enables
snack processors to detect ever-smaller metal
contaminants. Fortress Technology’s latest FM
software improves performance in some applications
by 40%. This is down to an algorithm that factors in
both time and amplitude with every detection signal.
Some retailers may pressurise suppliers to invest
in x-ray contaminant detection. Being able to
demonstrate the reliability and improved sensitivity of
metal detectors installed with FM software, for
example, may strengthen the case for snack
suppliers.
SAY HALO
Before selecting your inspection equipment, snack
manufacturers should carefully research potential
sources of contamination. Naturally, if your potential
contamination is all, or mostly, metal-based, it makes
sense to consider metal detection as a first option. If
the contaminate risks are wider ranging, or
predominantly non-metal by nature, it may be worth
examining the benefits of x-ray in more detail.
Ultimately, manufacturers worry when metal
contaminants are detected. Understandably they may
also worry when they are not. Improved automatic
testing tackles these concerns. For example, Fortress
Technology’s HALO system is an external test
designed to supplement, but not replace, manual
testing on throat, pipeline and gravity metal
detectors used for loose or free-falling snack
products such as crisps and nuts. HALO generates a
signal identical to that of particles of different sizes
and metals, so multiple test levels can be checked
easily. It is also a more objective and repeatable test
than manual or most other automatic alternatives.
When it comes to brand reputation, consumer
satisfaction is everything and contaminant detection
is critical for maintaining product trust. With the
future of snacks looking strong and more and more
healthier variations entering the market, now’s the
time to explore your inspection options and ensure
your quality product gets the shelf space it rightly
deserves.
www.fortresstechnology.co.uk
16 www.retailpackagingmag.co.uk