X-Ray Inspection Systems for Ready Meal Production

As demand for ready meals grows, so does the need to detect contaminants in products bound for human consumption. Eagle Product Inspection (eaglepi.com) offers advanced x-ray equipment that provides detection of foreign bodies—such as glass shards, metal fragments, mineral stone, calcified bone, and some rubber and plastic compounds—that can wind up in sub-compartments in ready meals, whether those meals are refrigerated, shelf stable or frozen.

“The rise of meal kits and the ongoing demand for convenient, ready-to-eat or ready-to-prepare foods has made it easier for consumers, but in some ways, has made it more challenging for manufacturers,” said Johselyn Casillas, applications engineer for Eagle Product Inspection. “Multiple ingredients within the meal and in different compartments requires another level of detection to prevent foreign bodies from causing food safety and integrity problems.” Moreover, many ready meals include different materials, including trays, films, small pouches, metal seals and outer packaging.