Q: How can food manufacturers check the safety and quality of their products?

A: A reliable way to check the safety and quality of food products is through investing in advanced product inspection technologies. There are a variety of solutions available to install along the whole production line. Metal detection systems detect the smallest metal contaminants, while x-ray inspection can find a range of foreign bodies such as glass, bone and rubber.

Other inspection solutions include dynamic checkweighers which detect over and underfilling to support compliance. Vision inspection equipment is vital for checking the accuracy of label data such as allergens in ingredients lists.

Q: How important is food safety for food manufacturers and how can they prove due diligence?

A: Food production is a highly regulated industry with varying laws and standards applying in different countries. It is vitally important from a legal point of view to comply with the relevant legislation. Consumers expect it and the law demands it.

Manufacturers can take a variety of actions to prove they have taken all possible steps to produce safe food. These include implementing food safety management systems such as a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) audit, installing advanced product inspection technologies and adhering to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).

Q: What advice would you give a start-up food manufacturer on selecting the most appropriate product inspection partner?

A: There are a few considerations when selecting a product inspection partner. Arguably, the most important is experience. Choose a partner with a proven track record in providing product inspection solutions to the food industry – they will have insights and knowledge that the less experienced may lack.

Their technology offering must also be strong. To stay compliant, you may need several types of different product inspection solutions, so it’s best to select one partner who can assist you along the whole production line and offer after sales service and training support. This will also limit certain production and maintenance costs, enabling you to keep costs under control while producing safe food.

Q: Where do you see food safety technology in the next five years?

A: Now is a very exciting time in food safety technology – we are seeing many advancements in detection technologies that offer enhanced accuracy in detecting and rejecting foreign body contaminants. This is set to continue in the coming years, along with increased digitalization in food safety processes.

Another big topic is further adoption of artificial intelligence (AI). We will see widespread use of AI in food safety technology over the next five years, which will enable quicker, more efficient contaminant detection. This will, in turn, facilitate faster analysis of and response to food safety incidents.