How to ensure the compliance of packaged foods

Food retailers such as supermarkets have extremely high compliance requirements for packaged foods, and they want to ensure that these foods meet consumer expectations. This motivates food producers to incorporate advanced product testing techniques into the production process to ensure consistency and repeatability at all times.

The compliance of packaged foods takes many forms. The basic requirement is that the food must not contain contaminants and the quality is high, and the labels are accurate and in the correct position. Products must also be within the correct weight tolerances, and relevant manufacturers, processors, and retailers should comply with relevant national and international food safety standards, regulations, or laws, as well as many other food safety guidelines.

The consequences of substandard products are very serious, especially for products contaminated with foreign matter. For individuals, it may cause long-term health hazards or even death. For related companies, it may cause product recalls, economic penalties, criminal proceedings, or even closures.

Compliance is more than just food safety compliance. When delivered to the consumer, the product and packaging must remain perfect without any defects, and should accurately reflect the expectations of the brand. This can be as simple as ensuring that the new insert contains it or that the label is always in exactly the same position. However, it may be as complex as ensuring that all the chocolates in the package have the same amount of decorative ingredients. Advanced product inspection technologies such as modern X-ray and vision inspection systems enable multiple integrity checks simultaneously to ensure product compliance. In addition, for manufacturers looking to improve line efficiency and optimize brand protection, automatic checkweighing can be used with visual inspection, metal detection or X-ray inspection in the same equipment.

Initial risk analysis and testing tools

The Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) assessment will identify the types of potential contaminants that may have an impact on product compliance. By considering the different product types and packaging materials involved, the assessment will determine how the contaminants enter or when they enter.

Metal detection technology provides the best way to detect iron, non-ferrous (copper and aluminum) and stainless steel metal contaminants. Until recently, when the product was packaged in a metal film, it was still impossible to detect a small metal foreign object using a metal detector. However, with the latest developments in metal detection systems that employ multiple simultaneous frequency and product signal suppression techniques, higher sensitivity is now available in these types of applications.

The X-ray inspection system detects physical contaminants that should not be present in all types of packaging, such as calcified bone, glass shards, metal fragments, ores, dense plastics and rubber compounds. Regardless of the shape or location of the foreign objects, they can be accurately detected under rapid production conditions. Because X-ray inspection technology can test the entire product, multiple additional tests can be performed simultaneously to ensure food safety and product compliance.

Product and packaging integrity

X-ray inspection technology detects the presence of missing items in the primary or secondary packaging. In the primary packaging, sausage counts can be made to ensure that the quantity in each package is correct, check the presence or absence of promotional gifts in the cereal package, and identify the presence or absence of plastic scoops in the infant formula container. In the secondary package, the X-ray inspection system is installed at the end of the line (before dispensing) to check and determine that the correct number of primary packages are contained in each package. Any under or excess product will be detected by X-ray images of each package, even in multiple packages.

The X-ray gross weight measurement measures the total weight of each package and rejects any non-conforming product that exceeds the specified weight range. The weight measurement is best suited for situations where the quality of individual items in the package must be checked, for example: convenience food per compartment. This function is important because the undershoot of one bin may be compensated by the overshoot of another bin.

The online checkweigher ensures that each package is accurately weighed in real time based on the weight of the indicated mark for each compartment. This allows the manufacturer to investigate the filling deviation during the processing phase. The checkweigher can also be set up to control the upstream filling machine. If the checkweigher detects any unacceptable deviations, it will reject the defective product and automatically adjust the connected filler to avoid the loss of excessive overfilling.

Seal integrity

Spills and spoilage during transport and storage are another significant threat to product compliance, so make sure the seals are properly aligned and installed. Residual products under the seal can result in poor sealing, affecting product freshness and even causing actual contamination.

X-ray technology detects high-density products between the inner and outer edges of the seal, while the visual inspection system detects excess food on the sealing edge. Both systems can successfully remove all non-conforming products on the production line for further investigation. Anti-theft seals are becoming increasingly popular, allowing consumers to feel comfortable with the integrity of their products. They are a valuable tool for combating counterfeit food and are commonly used on baby food cans. For added security, an electronic surveillance code can also be printed on the anti-theft seal. Advanced visual inspection technology detects anti-theft seals in real time to ensure a secure seal when shipped from the factory and validates individual electronic surveillance codes to prevent other security violations in the supply chain from affecting consumers.

Label accuracy

Visual inspection technology allows manufacturers to detect the location and content of labels under rapid manufacturing conditions and to verify that the labels attached to the packaging are correct. Regardless of the printing application, it detects all label information to ensure consumer safety and compliance with labeling regulations. Checking the status and quality of the date and batch information minimizes the risk of outdated products entering the market and plays an important role in product recalls. The latest innovations verify the accuracy and quality of inkjet dot matrix printing and further enhance quality control. The latest innovations in product inspection technology enable X-ray inspection systems to simultaneously check for defects in packaging or damage, while advanced visual inspection techniques verify that brand guidelines have been followed and that all information about the materials is correctly displayed.

Product compliance meets Industry 4.0 requirements

Access to quality data is a top priority for any successful compliance initiative. The connected product inspection system allows manufacturers to access food safety management information in real time. In order to centrally monitor and measure all food safety activities and production data, innovative inspection data management software can seamlessly integrate product inspection equipment. This allows for continuous monitoring of all compliance-related data and ensures that the quality assurance process is documented in an easier, convenient and efficient manner. These data can be stored centrally and used for statistical analysis and production line control. Advanced connectivity options enable remote access; compliance parameters related to line conversion can be quickly assigned to maintain production compliance and minimize downtime. Advances in technology are driving the food industry to adopt the Industry 4.0 principle to make more informed decisions in the event of labeling or contaminant issues: more transparent and automated data exchange throughout the food industry supply chain.

Conclusion

Packaged food compliance is more than just a food safety law; it involves a variety of factors such as product, appearance and packaging integrity. The use of product testing technology not only ensures compliance and food safety from all aspects, but also protects profits by reducing overfilling of the product and avoiding food spoilage during transit. In addition, ensuring food safety opens up a larger market and enables revenue growth. By integrating advanced product inspection technology, reliable food safety management mechanisms, and quality assurance processes, manufacturers and brand owners are able to consistently produce compliant packaged foods. In terms of maintaining quality and consistency, they will strengthen their reputation as a food safety advocate for the industry, and if a product recall occurs, they will be able to respond quickly and regain their leading position in the packaged food market. Finally, to achieve industry-leading product compliance, the need to select qualified suppliers and service partners is self-evident. Suppliers and service partners must have up-to-date regulatory information, fully understand the latest technologies, and know how to integrate these new systems into existing production facilities.

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