Detection of foreign body contamination, also known as "physical contamination," is crucial for any pharmaceutical manufacturer's product inspection process. Metal detection technology is effective for identifying metal contaminants - including stainless steel - during the preparation or tableting stages. X-ray systems, however, can detect metal as well as glass, certain plastics and rubber contaminants, regardless of their shape, size, or location within the product. This makes it ideal as the final line of defense on a production line.

For pharmaceutical manufacturers, product recalls can be devastating to the reputation of their brand, and can be costly. While costs may be recouped relatively quickly, reputational harm is harder to recover from. That's why quality assurance using product inspection equipment makes good business sense, in addition to being vital for consumer safety.

Implementing a well-designed x-ray inspection program can cut the risks and the costs involved in product recalls. X-ray "run codes" are assigned to each product batch. These codes can be compared with checkweigher batch data to help identify smaller contaminated batches that may need to be recalled, instead of recalling the entire production run.

In the highly regulated pharmaceutical sector, compliance is critical. Therefore, quality assurance programs must be thorough and comprehensive, with potential risks identified and mitigated.

X-ray technology can play a key role in supporting compliance. In addition, modern x-ray inspection systems keep digitalized records of activity, helping manufacturers prepare for product safety audits.