Food and product safety is of critical importance to manufacturers.
A product that is safe for consumption is the goal for manufacturers and by achieving this goal they can ensure that their production process is safe and effective, and also safeguard their brand from potentially irreparable damage in the mind of consumers. If a consumer finds a piece of machinery or other metal contaminant – be it small and largely unnoticeable to the eye, or larger and traumatic – in the product they purchased, they have been shown to make drastic brand (and potentially product/needs) pivots.
What impact do food recalls have on manufacturers?
A survey of 360 consumers in 2020 found that after a recall for milk, 83.61% would buy a different brand’s product, 8.06% would decide to delay their purchase of milk, and only 8.33% would continue to purchase the recalled milk. This speaks to the impact that a product recall can have on the purchasing behaviour of consumers for not only your brand, but the product as a whole. This is particularly problematic for products that consumers have a tenuous connection with, as during this consumptive down-time, they may find alternative products to suit their evolving needs.
In Australia, from 2012 – 2021, total food recalls have trended upward, with plastic, metals, and glass being the most common foreign matter types. Owing to increasing regulatory pressure and industry-specific solutions that can assist in preventing recalls altogether, these fortunately have been trending downward. With effective contamination detection solutions at critical control points in a production line, recalls can be almost wholly prevented. Not having preventative measures in place can result in a costly and brand damaging recall, with the average cost of a food recall being reported to be USD $10m – those being the direct costs to the company.
Why are metal detectors used in food production?
For these reasons manufacturers are driven to implementing a foreign body detection system and commonly metal detectors. With regards to metal, it is often the case that these contaminants are as a result of the ware-and-tare of production machinery finding its way onto the production line. This adds to the uncertainty and anxiety that manufacturers may experience if they do not have a protective measure in place to detect these occurrences before the product is passed on to the consumer. Increasing the strength of your HACCP program by implementing a metal detector into critical control points in your production line (these are designed to be “slotted” into your existing production line, or slightly altered depending on requirements) is the safest way to ensure your consumers are protected and safe, and your brand as well.
External forces can also necessitate the inclusion of these types of systems into food production lines. This could include compliance to a retailer code of practice, the involvement in co-packing for a manufacturer that has an expectation and specification around having a metal detector in that production line.
Additionally, some manufacturers may choose to implement metal detectors as a way to protect their existing machinery. As mentioned earlier, metal contaminants often come as a result of machinery ware-and-tare in the production line, and manufacturers have increasingly started using metal detection for this reason: they want to prevent metal contaminants from being a part of the production process, which can have negative impacts on processing machinery. Depending on the process, the presence of metal contaminants (even very small pieces) can have damaging effects on processing machinery. Manufacturers have identified this problem and are using metal detectors to prevent the downstream malfunctioning of their equipment and the resulting unwanted down-time and costly repairs of the production line.
Don’t risk a recall. Keep your consumers safe, your brand safe, and your production lines operational.
Diverseco are proudly solutions experts in the product inspection space, with a comprehensive solution for foreign body detection bespoke to each unique operation. From pre-sales consultation and assessment, to project management, design, installation, and after-sales support and service, we are the ideal partner for food manufacturers looking to eliminate their product recall risk.