Food and Beverage Processing
Foreign-object control in food is not really a detection problem, it is an evidence problem. The machine has to catch the contaminant, remove it provably, and produce a record an auditor will accept.
What goes wrong
- Wet, salty and frozen product generates a signal that masks real contamination
- Stainless steel is both the hardest contaminant to find and the likeliest source
- Every product change needs a re-tune that varies by operator
- Alarm-only detection leaves removal to a person who can miss it
- Metal detection is blind to glass, stone, bone and hard plastic
What the equipment has to do
- Multi-frequency or phase-adapted detection for difficult product effect
- Self-learning product memory so changeover is a selection, not a re-tune
- Automatic rejection into a lockable bin, with the event logged
- 304 or 316 stainless with closed profiles that can actually be cleaned
- X-ray inspection where the hazard analysis goes beyond metal
Product categories for this industry
Industrial Metal Detectors for Food Processing
Conveyor and gravity detectors that keep metal out of finished food, and the evidence to prove it.
13 models →
Food X-Ray Inspection Systems
X-ray inspection for the contaminants a metal detector cannot see: glass, stone, bone and hard plastic.
4 models →
Metal Detection and Checkweighing Combination Systems
One frame that checks a pack for metal and weighs it, rejecting on either result.
4 models →
Dynamic Checkweighers
In-motion weighing that checks every pack on the line, not a sample.
2 models →
Typical scenarios
- End-of-line check on packed product before dispatch
- Pipeline detection on pumped sauce, juice and liquid product
- Wide-belt inspection of pouches, frozen meat and seafood
- Combined weight and contamination checking on one frame
How we work through it
- Tell us the product, pack format, line speed and the contaminants in your hazard analysis
- We advise honestly whether metal detection is enough or X-ray is required
- Aperture, belt speed, construction grade and reject type specified to the line
- Test pieces supplied so detection can be verified at commissioning
- Verification interval agreed against your food safety plan
What we deliver beyond the equipment
- Complete conveyor systems, or search heads that fit an existing belt without cutting it
- 304 standard with 316 available for product-contact parts
- CE Declaration of Conformity and Declaration of Manufacturer on the food conveyor systems
- Configurations specified against IFS, BRC, HACCP, FSMA and ISO 22000 requirements
Equipment specified for this industry
FSD-2025 Conveyor Metal Detector
View specification →FSD-2024SS Stainless Steel Conveyor Metal Detector
View specification →
AVG-FX-Mini Compact Food X-Ray Inspection System
View specification →
AVG-FX-S Food X-Ray System with Auto Reject
View specification →
Rectangular Conveyor Metal Detector Head for Bulk Material
View specification →
Pipeline Feed Metal Detector for Liquid and Juice
View specification →
VKD-II Conveyor Metal Detector and Check Weigher
View specification →
Small Roller Dynamic Checkweigher
View specification →Guides for this industry
What Metals Can a Metal Detector Detect
Ferrous and non-ferrous metals behave differently in a detection field, and stainless steel is consistently the hardest to find.
The Three Metal Detection System Types in Food Processing
Conveyor, gravity-fall and pipeline systems each cover product the others cannot reach. Most plants need more than one.
Metal Detector or X-Ray for Food Inspection
The choice is decided by your hazard analysis and your packaging, not by budget. Each misses things the other catches.
Food and Beverage Processing FAQ
Our product is frozen and salty. Will a normal detector work
No, not reliably. You need automatic phase adjustment or multi-frequency detection, such as the FSD-2025 or the LCD auto-learning conveyor detector.
When do we need X-ray instead of metal detection
When glass, stone, bone or hard plastic are in your hazard analysis, or when foil packaging blocks metal detection. Otherwise a metal detector is cheaper and often better.
What sensitivity will we actually get
Published figures are empty-machine. Loaded sensitivity depends on your product. Send us a sample description and we will give you a realistic answer rather than the datasheet number.
How do we evidence a critical control point
The AVG-FX-S logs every reject with image, timestamp and operator ID into a lockable key-access bin, which is what an auditor asks to see.
Can we add detection without replacing our conveyor
Yes. The VMS-4 search head and the separable rectangular head both fit an existing belt.
Equipment for food and beverage processing
Send your requirement and we will specify against it, including what documentation the factory can supply for your market.