AIB & Fortress keep food contaminants in check
Fortress Technology ’ s latest Food Safety First podcast zones in on foreign material control , including the sources and preventative measures that companies can take to stop contaminants of all types entering the food chain . Featuring renowned expert speaker and Vice President of AIB International , Jeff Wilson , together with Fortress Managing Director Phil Brown recap on the risks , facility considerations and technology features that form part of the total contaminant control picture .
Pest control , good manufacturing practices , machine maintenance , facility design and performing foreign material inspections at various stages of the supply chain are all steps that food manufacturers can take to prevent consumers biting into a foreign body . Yet , even the most robust processes are not infallible . In addition to welldocumented contaminants , including stones , bones , pips , shells and stalks , extraneous materials introduced from equipment or packaging , or even the fabric of the facility itself , need to form
28 FDPP - www . fdpp . co . uk part of a root cause analysis , highlights Jeff throughout the two-series podcast .
Given the numerous critical control points in a food manufacturing plant , Jeff advises taking a systematic approach to identifying potential food safety hazards . From identifying raw material hazards , having processes in place to isolate glass and ceramic packaging breakages , to recognising equipment and structural plant risks , the key he explains is to have detailed protocols in place that identify and then action these potential hazards .
KNOWLEDGE CHAIN CUSTODIANS Although foreign material control is inherently process driven , if people aren ’ t trained to understand what could go wrong and what to look for , food integrity can still be compromised . Touching upon this in the podcast , Jeff explains : “ Thankfully there is a high level of understanding about foreign material control across the food manufacturing sector . Yet often , inspection equipment can be tested by those who don ’ t always fully comprehend the inner workings of the technology .” Yet machines , if not understood fully , can also exacerbate food contaminant issues .
Knowing how to set and calibrate the machinery is one area that can be overlooked . This is where universal machine simplicity can help . As digitally ‘ smart ’ as Fortress Metal Detectors are , the company rarely deviates from its simple to use strategy explains Phil : “ If a food processor is running a highspeed product line , our clients don ’ t really care how many megabytes per second the microprocessor inside is capable of handling . Quality managers simply want the detector to perform , reject contaminated product accurately , without incurring high levels of false rejects .”
To increase speed and ease of set up , plus eliminate human error , userfriendly features like automated single pass learning and calibration can deliver an accurate system set-up within seconds .