Metal Detector contribution to the Food Industry explained Unique Equipments in 2022.
Most of you are curious in knowing- Why metal detectors are used in the Food industry?
Food Metal detectors are used primarily for consumer protection. Despite maximum care in the production of food, one can not fully protect against metal contamination.
Metal particles that enter during the production or are already present in raw materials cause serious health issues to the consumers.
The consequences of this to the producing company are huge in terms of financial and reputation. Even bigger and long-lasting damage to the company is caused by the negative brand image and loss of consumer trust.
Therefore, Food Metal Detector Manufacturers have increased significantly in recent years. Unique Equipments is the specialist brand in Metal Detectors Manufacturers and Exporters.
Metal detector for food provides effective protection against the metals ferrous and Non-ferrous( Aluminum, Stainless steel etc). The detector can be installed in every step of the production and can be used in various industries such as Bakery, Meat, Sausage, Fruit & Vegetable, Diary Products, Spices, Sugar etc.
In addition to consumer protection, food metal detectors are used to protect the expensive machinery as well. Even a small bit of metal particles leads to bigger machinery failure. Expensive repair and production downtown are the big reasons to go for food metal detectors.
How does a Food Metal Detector work?
In the food industry, the metal detector works on the transmitter-receiver method. The system is equipped with a transmitter and two receiver coils. The transmitter coils generate a constant electromagnetic field. When a metal particle passes through the detector its interference with the field causes a signal to be detected by the receivers.
The electronic unit in the metal detector analyzes the signal, evaluates it and signals metal contamination.
As a rule in the food industry, the metal detector automatically rejects each contaminated food unit and separates the contaminated food products from the product line.
Types of Metal Contaminants in Food.
There are broadly 3s types of metal contaminants in food. These are as below-
Ferrous- Ferrous or commonly known as Iron metal are the easiest way to detect it as they are magnetic and conductive to electricity.
Non-Ferrous- Non-Ferrous is non-magnetic but is good in conductions. Thereby these are quite easier to detect.
Stainless-Steel- These are the hardest metal contaminants because they are non-magnetic and low-conductive.
Apart from the nature of metal, the type of Food also influences metal detection abilities. For Instance, Watery and salty food items significantly influence the electromagnetic fields and make it difficult to detect metal contaminants.
However, the conductive properties of watery food items change once it is frozen. So it becomes easier to detect metal contaminants in frozen foods.
For example, the heavy water content in the chicken breast can make it less effective in the detection of metal contaminants. But once it is frozen, conductive properties change. Hence it will become easier to detect metal contaminants.