FEATURE FOOD & BEVERAGE
FORTRESS KEEPS TABS ON THE LATEST FOOD FADS
such as the Fortress Interceptor, is ideal for these kind of elevated convenience products, as it can accurately inspect a variety of conductivities at the same time,” explains Brown. “Moreover, this kind of detector is an intelligent inspection solution; it will quickly ‘learn’ to recognise the different phases of a complex product and be able to accurately inspect it for signs of contamination, ensuring the final product reaches the consumer exactly as the producer intended.”
by Phil Brown, managing director, Fortress Technology Europe T
he food industry is evolving at a rapid rate. Whether it’s plant-based
cuisine, protein-rich snacks or convenience with class, today’s food manufacturers are having to work harder than ever to please discerning consumers. Yet whatever the latest trend, the primary aim for producers must always be food safety. Metal detectors and inspection systems
are critical to the food production process. As tastes change, technology must keep pace with evolving food trends to ensure safety standards are not compromised.
‘SPEED SCRATCH’ SUBSCRIPTIONS The days of low quality, frozen, bland TV dinners are – thankfully – behind us. Today’s consumers are looking for high- quality meals that will fit into their fast- paced lifestyles, without having to compromise on health or flavour. As a result, convenience food, specifically meal kits, is anticipated to continue growing in popularity throughout 2019 and beyond. Britain’s home cooks are largely set in
their ways but are increasingly looking for meal inspiration, reports Mintel. Additionally, as many as 42 per cent of British consumers are interested in a personalised diet. Subscription recipe boxes, also known as ‘speed-scratch’ or meal kits, was worth an estimated £129.2 million in the UK in 2017, with
16 OCTOBER 2019 | IRISH MANUFACTURING
6.5 per cent of the UK population signing up to a subscription service. These convenience offerings deliver all
the ingredient components required to make a fresh, tasty and nutritious meal at home, without the hassle of weighing, measuring or shopping for each item individually. According to Brown, in order to
accurately inspect meal kits and ensure they are free from contamination, producers need to ensure their metal detection solution is sophisticated enough to cope with not only different kinds of foodstuffs simultaneously, but also different types of packaging. Brown explains: “Each type of food –
protein, salad, vegetable, carbohydrate, etc. – has different conductive properties and therefore behaves differently in a metal detector. For example, some proteins are easier to inspect cooked than raw; and salad and vegetables will be easier to inspect than protein. The same principal applies to packaging; metallised foil is more problematic than plastic, for example. And if each item is individually wrapped before being placed into the final box, then the overall packaging will be thicker and sensitivity might be affected.” Fortunately, there are detectors
available that can cope with such challenges. “A metal detector that can run multiple frequencies simultaneously,
Metallised film or staples in recycled cardboard could trigger a metal detector alert
EVERGREEN CONSUMPTION Sustainability has been climbing up the consumer agenda for a number of years, and is set to really take off in 2019, moving towards a 360-degree approach spanning the entire product lifecycle. With plastic pollution hitting the headlines, there is now a drive towards sustainable packaging alternatives in the food industry. “Bioplastics made from materials such
as cellulose pose no problem to metal detectors, as they look and behave just like regular plastic,” explains Brown. “However, food producers need to be aware of the issues they could encounter with recycled cardboard. Cardboard is shredded during the recycling process, exposing the metallised film, which is usually aluminium based. Additionally, in our experience staples can also be a high source of contamination. These metals will therefore trigger an alert on an inspection system. “While it is possible to calibrate or
reduce the sensitivity on the detector to bypass the alert caused by metallised film, this will also decrease sensitivity on the product,” adds Brown. “No producer wants to risk metal
contamination. In order to ensure a safe product yet avoid false readings interrupting the production process, we advise our customers to only purchase recycled cardboard from a supplier that has a metal detection system on site; thereby ensuring their packaging is free from metal contamination before it enters their factory,” advises Brown. As food trends evolve, inspection
Fortress Technology
www.fortresstech
nology.com
machine manufacturers such as Fortress will continue to work closely with food producers to develop solutions that ensure they can keep pace with current trends while maintaining product safety.
/ IRISHMANUFACTURING
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