Eagle Product Inspection (Eagle, eaglepi.com), a leading provider of physical contamination detection and quality assurance equipment, will showcase a number of advanced technology and software solutions, in addition to offering a cruise giveaway, at Pack Expo 2016.

Product inspection plays on every manufacturers mind in the food sector. With the regulatory landscape evolving rapidly, with regulations such as FSMA and HACCP for example, X-ray technology is now a commonplace tactic for the detection of physical contaminants in a wide variety of sectors – from bakery and snacks to dairy, meat and poultry, ready meals and confectionery. Inline fat analysis (FA) too is becoming more widely adopted in the meat and poultry sector, as accurate measurements of mass and Chemical Lean (CL) values can enable processors to increase yield and extract maximum value from their product. Eagle’s new OPTUM recipe management software will be on display at the Expo, which complements FA systems in this area.

In addition to the core competencies of the systems Eagle has to offer in terms of physical contaminant detection, the company has also taken care to help mitigate  another form of contamination – namely pathological – which has potential to cause damage to brand reputation. There have been a number of reports in the international press regarding outbreaks of diseases such as Listeria, E.Coli and Salmonella, therefore sanitary design and ability to clean equipment effectively is of paramount importance. While x-ray systems are not able to physically detect microbial contamination, the design of the systems is a critical factor to reducing the risks associated with bacterial ingress, survival, growth and reproduction.

Kyle Thomas, strategic business unit manager at Eagle Product Inspection, comments: “With product recalls persisting as an issue for manufacturers and food safety laws becoming increasingly strict, it is vital that product inspection systems not only perform well but are designed both to prevent bacterial growth and to facilitate the level of cleaning necessary in the food processing environment. Many of Eagle’s X-ray inspection systems have been designed using the NAMI (North American Meat Institute) Sanitary Equipment Design Principles and are also available with IP69 ingress protection, which enables them to withstand thorough and rigorous sanitation routines, including high pressure wash down procedures.”

The NAMI Design Principles take into consideration areas such as accessibility of equipment parts for sanitation purposes, prevention of product and liquids collecting on the system, and ensuring equipment parts are free of niches such as pits, cracks or open seams where bacteria are prone to collect.   

At Pack Expo, Eagle will showcase three x-ray inspection products:

• Eagle™ FA3/M: a multi-application system which provides inline fat measurement and contaminant detection for fresh, chilled, frozen and hot-boned loose bulk, frozen or tempered (“naked”) meat blocks and unwrapped meat conveyed in plastic crates. The FA3/M is an excellent example of Eagle's sanitary design methods and complies with IP69 ingress protection, meaning it is capable of withstanding high pressure wash-down cleaning routines.
   
• Eagle™ Pack 430 with MDX: designed for x-ray inspection of mid-sized packaged products and multi-lane applications in the Food, Pet Food and Pharmaceutical/Personal Care industries, the Pack 430 PRO on display features Eagle's dual energy Material Discrimination X-Ray (MDX) technology, designed to detect foreign bodies previously unseen by single energy x-ray or other conventional inspection means in difficult product applications. The Pack 430 PRO is available in IP65 and IP69 construction.
   
• Eagle™ Tall PRO XSDV: Designed for the inspection of high-speed can, jar, bottle and composite lines, as well as other upright container formats where having two x-ray views improve inspection rigor, the Eagle Tall PRO XSDV is ideal for customers with limited line space. IP65 and IP69 models are available.

Visitors to Eagle’s stand will be able to view a range of software options, designed to complement the systems to enhance line productivity. SimulTask™ PRO simplifies product set-up and adds flexibility to the product inspection process, TraceServer™ seamlessly records the x-ray inspection process, storing valuable production data and machine status information centrally, while Eagle’s brand new OPTUM software takes the guesswork out of meat recipe management and enables batching to a target Chemical Lean (CL). The simple user interface allows the operator to optimize each recipe or batch based on the raw materials and products currently in inventory.

In addition, visitors to the Eagle stand will be invited to enter a draw for a cruise getaway, offering them the ability to relax while their product inspection needs are taken care of by Eagle’s experts.

For all the information on what Eagle has to offer and to talk to one of our product inspection experts, visit us at Booth #S-1623 at Pack Expo 2016.