Case Study: New England's Leading Dairy Uses Metal Detectors To Assure Product Safety

HP Hood LLC is one of the largest branded dairy operators in the United States. Founded in 1846, the company distributes dairy and other products to chains and independent retailers, convenience stores, food service channels and in New England, home delivery customers.

Hood-branded lines of milk, creams, ice creams, cottage cheese and sour cream regularly rank number one in New England, while the company holds national and super regional franchise rights to process and sell extended shelf-life products including LACTAID, Nesquik, Coffee-mate, Stonyfield Farm Organic Milk, Arizona FRESH Iced Tea, Southern Comfort Eggnog and Hood Carb Countdown reduced carb dairy beverages. The company maintains its own research and development operation and was recently named "Processor of the Year" by Dairy Foods Magazine.

The metal detector in the Suffied plant sit on the production line, after the slurry is poured into the carton and the carton sealed, and before the ice cream enters the hardening tunnel. "We enter the size of the container we are using and the machine sets itself up." Newer models will automatically detect the product's size, allowing users to combine multiple products on a single production line.