Our Complete Guide to Metal Detectors for Food Processing

Metal detector systems and magnetic separators are widely used in the food processing industry to detect and remove contaminants from food ingredients and produce. This helps to protect your brand reputation, whilst ensuring consumer safety.

But how are metal detectors used in the food industry and how could you incorporate this type of equipment into your production line? And is metal detection in the food industry really a necessity? Read on to find out.

How Is Metal Detected In Food?

During the food production process, there are many Critical Control Points (CCPs). These are stages within the production line where controls are applied to prevent or eliminate Biological, Chemical or Physical food safety risks.

In many production lines, there is a risk of metal contamination. This could be from the raw materials or from the daily operation of the manufacturing equipment.

High sensitivity metal detectors and high gradient magnetic separators can be installed at many stages within the production line to detect and remove metal contamination from food and drink products, virtually eliminating the risk of contamination.

What Are Food Processing Metal Detectors?

A food industry metal detector is a piece of equipment that is installed on the production line to proactively scan for metal contamination within the product. The contaminated product can then be removed from the production line, ensuring contamination does not reach the hands of consumers. 

Metal detectors can be installed at many different points on the production line, including:

• Pre-silo to inspect incoming raw materials
• In-line between silo and filling systems
• On conveyors within the production process
• Within pneumatic conveying pipes
• During the packaging process
• As a final checkpoint

There are many different types of metal detector available, including metal detectors for gravity free-fall applications, pumped liquids, pressure conveying pipes and end of line finished goods inspection.

What Types of Food Can Go Through a Metal Detector?

Our food grade metal detectors are suitable for use on almost any type of food. This includes bulk materials such as flour, sugar and salt, as well as solid produce such as butter, cheese, bread and frozen meats.

Do Metal Detectors Detect Stainless Steel?

Metal detectors can detect almost any type of metal. They detect magnetic materials more easily due to their magnetic properties, but they are also suitable for detecting non-ferrous metals such as stainless steel, aluminium, brass, nickel and zinc. This makes our metal detectors ideal for use in the food industry, where stainless steel is a commonly used material for machine components.

Is Metal Detection a CCP?

In most production lines, metal detection of the product in its final packaging is a critical control point (CCP). This is because manufacturers need to ensure that their produce is safe for consumption.

Many manufacturers choose to use metal detectors earlier in the production line, as well as on the final product. Installing metal detectors at several points within the process helps to ensure quality, as well as minimising wastage and lost production time.

Should I Install a Metal Detector at Silo Intake?

We’d always suggest installing a metal detector or magnetic separation system during the silo intake process. This helps to ensure the quality of ingredients from your suppliers, as well as identifying any potential contamination before it reaches the production line and makes it into your produce.

What Are The Best Metal Detectors for The Food Industry?

There are many different types of metal detector on the market, so how do you know which is right for your production line?

At Eclipse Magnetics, we offer a comprehensive range of food grade metal detectors which can be used on pneumatic conveying lines, within gravity free-fall applications and within conveying systems.

Here are some of our most popular metal detectors for food production.

GF Metal Detector

Our GF Metal Detector is suitable for use on pneumatic conveying lines, for inspecting granulate and powdered products such as sugar, flour and salt.

It is designed for high flow rates, with a Quick Flap System that removes metal contaminants without any interruption to the production line. This makes it ideal for inspecting incoming goods, prior to filling silos.

RAPID Metal Detector

The RAPID Metal Detector has been specifically designed for gravity free-fall applications. It is capable of detecting and separating metal contamination, even when it is enclosed within a product.

Contaminated produce is separated with the Quick Flap System, removing any metal material from the production line. This helps to ensure product quality and reduces expensive recalls.

C-SCAN DLS Metal Detector

The C-SCAN DLS Metal Detector is suitable for use on conveyor belts, making it suitable for products such as bread, fruit and vegetable products.

This metal detector is optimised for detecting stainless steel, making it ideal for use in the food industry. It can also detect all other ferrous and non-ferrous metals, making it ideal for ensuring product quality.

INTUITY Metal Detector

The high-performance INTUITY Metal Detector is used by many major brands of food produce across the globe for inspecting packaged, unpackaged and bulk produce on conveyor systems.

The INTUITY system really is intuitive to use. During product setup it will accurately predict the size of the test pieces that can be detected with 100% reliability, irrespective of what product is being setup.

This intelligent system logs all events within the logbook, enabling detailed quality evaluations. This helps to facilitate continuous improvement within your production line, reducing wastage and enhancing product quality.

UNICON+D GLS Metal Detector

The UNICON+D GLS Metal Detector is an extremely high-performance metal detector for installation on conveyor belts. It can be used for inspecting packaged, bagged, fresh and frozen produce, ensuring product quality and protecting your brand reputation.

It features a modular design, making it highly flexible and suitable for use on a wide range of production lines.

LIQUISCAN PL Metal Separator

The LIQUISCAN PL Metal Separator was specially developed for use in pump lines with high hygienic requirements.  It is able to dectect metal as small as 0.4mm in liquid and paste products.

It comes with both single and dual frequency modes and has a simple and intuitive auto learn function. 

GLS MF Metal Detector

The GLS MF Metal Detector is ideal for detecting and separating metal comtaminants in piece and bulk food goods. It detects magnetic and non-magnetic metal contamination as small as 0.7mm, even when enclosed in product.

It can be easily installed on conveyor belts or material chutes to provide quality control for incoming and outgoing material inspection.

VARICON INTUITY Metal Detector 

The VARICON INTUITY Metal Detector uses multi-simultaneous frequency technology to detect metal contaminants in conveyed piece and bulk goods.

It can detect metal in both packaged and unpackaged goods and can be used in wet and dry environments.

P-SCAN RG Metal Detector

The P-SCAN RG Metal Detector detects magnetic and non-magnetic metal contamination as small as 0.2mm, even when enclosed in product. It has been designed for the analysis of bulk materials, fibres or liquid/pasty products in pipelines.

It over 30 different coil variants for all common nominal pipe diameters and can be installed into vertical, horizontal and inclined conveying lines.

Want to Learn More About Food Industry Metal Detectors?

If you’re interested in learning more about our metal detectors for the food industry, or if you’d like to talk through your application requirements and find out how you could improve your product quality, we’re here to help.

Give us a call on +44 (0) 114 225 0600 or fill out our contact form to get in touch with a Magnetic Separation & Detection expert.