Food-Inspection Equipment: The "Tripwire" Of Processing Lines

PACK EXPO 2014 took place at Chicago’s McCormick Place November 2 – November 5. Food Online’s Editor Sam Lewis attended the event and had the opportunity to speak with several of the event’s attendees and exhibitors.

Lewis spoke with the show’s representatives, exhibitors, and presenters about a wide range of topics: from the latest solutions in food-packaging and food-processing technology, to how product-inspection and traceability technologies are evolving alongside federal and global food-safety regulations. Here, Lewis had the opportunity to speak with Kyle Thomas, SBU Manager at Eagle Product Inspection. Thomas speaks about several different types of product-inspection equipment, the functions they perform, and the benefits each one can provide an end user. Thomas further expands on the growing need for new product-inspection equipment and processes by elaborating on increasingly-stringent regulations, specifically FSMA and BRC Global Standards. Thomas explains that as regulations become more and more strict, the need to identify smaller and smaller contaminants is increasing. Older inspection equipment and techniques may not keep a food maker compliant and, subsequently, damage its brand. Finally, Thomas encourages food makers in search of new product-inspection systems to attend PACK EXPO at least once. Thomas stresses that the event provides food makers the opportunity to speak with inspection-product vendors’ engineers regarding the latest trends and drivers in the food and beverage industry.