July 24, 2007

Japanese x-ray system passes test with flying colours

A Japanese food x-ray system has aced performance tests by the Danish Meat Association.

The Anritsu KD74 had excellent scores for detecting small pieces of bone, stainless steel, plastic and glass contaminants in pork products, according to a spokesperson for the Danish Meat Association (DMA).

The machine is capable of detecting metal objects as small as 0.3 millimeter. It could also detect bone, shell, stone, rubber, and plastic, the manufacturer said.

Processors are investing in technology that would allow finer detection of bone and contaminant material in an era of stricter checks by import authorities.

Six inspections systems were tested initially, with two selected for the final round. The Japanese inspection system was chosen because of its contaminant detection, good stability and ease of operation.

The KD74 uses advanced sensor and image processing technology, which provides "shape detection" to reveal misshapen products or meat with missing parts.

The system can also be programmed to allow for clips on sausages to pass through and mark those without clips.

The inspection system, made largely from stainless steel is suitable for wet, frozen and packaged products.