Bakery & Confectionery X-ray Inspection Services

Our x-ray technology can quickly and simultaneously identify many contaminant types and quality concerns in bakery and confectionery, in many forms of packaging – even if the product is frozen.

Typical examples of contaminants and defects which can be detected in baked goods include:

• Contaminants inside packaging or within the food itself
• Mineral stones, bone and glass fragments
• Metal, certain rubbers and plastics – common machinery faults
• The smallest stainless steel sieve wire fragments down to 0.2mm diameter
• Product agglomerate in coated cereal products
• Under-filled pies and missing components in multi-packs

The size that we can identify is influenced by the thickness and homogeneity of the product, its packaging and size and the contaminants’ density and position within the food or pack.

Our highest resolution x-ray scanner (the Micron Scan) can detect a sieve wire of just 0.2mm in a single item or a piece of metal just 1.0mm sphere in a multi-pack or case. It can also detect glass fragments down to 1.0mm as well as stone, calcified bone and certain rubbers and plastics.

We offer a free and confidential assessment to guarantee the highest accuracy for your particular problem.

The inspection time is dependent on the target defect or contaminant, the product and pack size, if it can be inspected in a case or has to be stripped from the case, re-shrunk wrapped etc.

A pallet can be as quick as 5 minutes or as long as two hours.

Request a Free Sample Inspection for AIS to evaluate your product and the likely timescale required for your particular problem.

You can also call us – we can often evaluate the issue on the phone.

We regularly provide a safe, fast and effective inspection service for frozen and chilled foods, however we do not offer freezers or refrigerated storage on the premises.

We have multiple hook up points and a large secure yard which can accommodate up to 10 refrigerated trailers.

Working directly from the trailers, each pallet is removed it is temperature monitored throughout the inspection process and then immediately returned to the trailer (or a spare trailer which is then replaced on the next load). A full trailer can usually be inspected and turned round in a few hours.

We regularly inspect chilled and frozen food for well-known brands and this has proven to be the most efficient method.

AIS has many years’ of experience in providing specialist x-ray inspection services. We are ISO accredited to help you achieve compliance for potential recall incidents, HACCP and TACCP.

Over 95% of our business is repeat business from long term clients, mainly within the food and pharmaceutical sectors.

Reliability can differ due to many factors. We will always give a clear and honest appraisal of what is achievable and be prepared to demonstrate that to you at any time.

Request a Free Sample Inspection for AIS to evaluate your product and problem.

X-ray inspection which delivers a dose of less than 0.5 Gy to food products is permitted under EU Directive 1999/2/EC.

The dose received by a product passing through an x-ray system is extremely low, typically for an x-ray linescan system it is less than 0.2 milli-Gy.

For more detailed information please visit this European Food Information Council article, or see: “How safe is X-ray Inspection?”

Yes, some of our customisable x-ray inspection systems and metal detectors are available to rent at your premises. These can be hired, subject to availability, on flexible contract periods – usually for an immediate or short term requirement.

Find out more about X-Ray Inspection Equipment Hire.