Delivering Quality at High-Speed in the Snack and Confectionery Industry

Advanced product inspection technologies help manufacturers maintain quality at high production speeds, while also future-proofing production lines. Image courtesy of Mettler-Toledo Product Inspection.

Advanced product inspection technology resolves food safety challenges.

By Sarrina Crowley, Marketing Communications Manager with Mettler-Toledo Product Inspection

In an industry where speed and quality go together, snack and confectionery manufacturers face the constant challenge of keeping up with consumer demand without sacrificing product integrity. Snack foods continue to become more popular globally. It is even predicted that by the year 2030, global sales of savory snacks could reach a value of $386.8 billion.[1] It’s easy to see that the pressure to deliver a diverse range of high-quality products at speed has never been greater.

Challenges and Solutions in High-Speed Production Environments

Advanced product inspection technology can resolve several challenges presented by high-speed production environments:

Product Handling and Weighing Challenges

High-speed snack and confectionery production poses several challenges, particularly in product handling and rejection. At high speeds, products are more susceptible to damage or misalignment, leading to increased rejection rates. Handling delicate items or products with specific packaging requirements, like flow-wrapped goods, becomes more complex as speed increases, elevating the risk of product rejection and waste.

Accurate weighing is further complicated by the sealed edges of flow wraps, which can cause handling and sorting issues, and the need for stricter tolerances with smaller, lighter products. Advanced and highly accurate dynamic checkweighers help solve this issue by brief weighing times even at speeds of up to 800 products per minute.

Label Verification and Allergen Management

Automated vision inspection systems are instrumental in ensuring the accuracy of label content, helping to prevent costly recalls and protecting consumers’ health. These systems capture high-resolution images of each product’s packaging as it moves through the production line. They use advanced algorithms to analyze the images, verifying that the labels contain the correct information, such as ingredient lists and allergen warnings. They can also detect misprints, missing information or incorrect labels.

Contaminant Detection

Effective contaminant detection is essential for both unpacked and packed products to maintain consumer safety and brand integrity, and to reduce the risk of product recalls. Manufacturers can use a combination of metal detection and X-ray inspection technologies to meet these needs efficiently.

Metal detectors can be used to reject all types of metal, such as ferrous, non-ferrous and stainless-steel particles. They can be used at various points on the production line, from the start of production to inspect raw materials, to the end of the line after primary packaging. However, the most popular insertion point in snack foods and confectionery manufacturing is just prior to packaging. Products are weighed using multi-head weighing technology, then drop through the metal detector and into the bag which is then sealed.  This technology is ideal for high-speed production environments where rapid, accurate detection of metal contaminants is needed.

X-ray inspection systems are ideal for detecting a wide range of contaminants in packed products either at the primary or the secondary packaging stage. This may include glass, metal, mineral stones, rubber compounds, agglomerates and dense plastics. Plastic contaminants can arise from wear and tear on molds, broken machinery parts or even packaging materials, making it critical to have robust detection systems.

X-ray inspection systems identify foreign objects based on their density, even when the density difference between plastic and the product itself is minimal. In confectionery products, where the texture and density of the food can vary widely, traditional inspection methods may struggle to catch plastic contaminants. X-ray technology, however, offers higher sensitivity and reliability, meaning that products meet stringent safety and quality standards, minimizing the risk of plastic contamination reaching the consumer, and protecting brand reputation.

Beyond contaminant detection, X-ray systems can also perform a range of integrity checks, such as verifying product shape, measuring mass, detecting missing or broken items and checking proper fill levels, further enhancing quality control and reducing the likelihood of defective products reaching consumers.

An Automatic Test System (ATS) automates the testing process of metal detectors integrated into vertical form, fill and seal processes which are very common in the manufacturing process for bagged chips, sweets and nuts. Image courtesy of Mettler-Toledo Product Inspection.

Choosing Technology

Choosing the technology best suited to a production line depends on the product type and contamination risks. Metal detectors are ideal for the inspection of products before they are packaged or within the primary packaging stage where detecting metal contaminants early can save the manufacturer production costs. X-ray inspection systems are preferred for packed products where detection of a broader range of contaminants is required. They are suitable for packaged products and provide optional quality and integrity checks which can be performed simultaneously, typically at end-of-line.

Cost constraints are a major consideration for manufacturers in this sector, particularly since many snack and confectionery products are sold at low price points, making it challenging to justify investment in high-end product inspection systems. While the         costs of metal detection or X-ray inspection may seem high, these technologies can significantly reduce recall-related expenses and potential reputational damage – saving manufacturers more in the long run. In addition, leveraging AI-driven functions, with a focus on sustainability, can further help manufacturers combat rising costs. By optimizing inspection efficiency through intelligent algorithms, manufacturers can reduce energy consumption and minimize waste, ultimately lowering operational costs.

Robust Testing and Setup Procedures

To check that a metal detection system is fully optimized to detect contaminants, manufacturers can integrate automatic testing systems. Automatic Test System (ATS) automates the testing process of metal detectors integrated into vertical form, fill and seal processes which are very common in the manufacturing process for bagged chips, sweets and nuts. ATS provides the most accurate testing of centerline sensitivity – representing the worst-case scenario for detection – by consistently simulating how contaminants might pass through the very center of the aperture. This method delivers consistent performance testing and reduces the risk of contaminants going undetected, offering manufacturers greater confidence in product safety.

To help streamline operations and reduce the potential for human error, X-ray inspection technology can automatically set up the inspection of different products and facilitate several changeovers. By automatically adjusting to inspect new products or packaging formats, X-ray systems can make sure that consistent inspection accuracy is achieved by setting the correct detection sensitivity for that particular product.

Data Management in Production

Data management is also integral to modern snack and confectionery production, enabling manufacturers to monitor and optimize their production processes, as well as adhere to audit requirements. They can also play a significant role in boosting productivity through predictive maintenance and real-time analytics. These data management systems enable manufacturers to proactively address production issues, reducing downtime and improving product safety.

Conclusion

As the snack and confectionery market continues to boom, manufacturers need equipment that can adapt to new product lines and regulatory changes. Investing in advanced product inspection technologies is essential to maintaining quality at high production speeds, while also future-proofing production lines. With the innovative solutions available, manufacturers can face the challenges head on while upholding product integrity and consumer safety.

Reference:

[1] https://www.statista.com/statistics/1196800/global-savory-snack-market-size/

About the Author

Sarrina Crowley brings 19 years of marketing communications expertise in product inspection solutions for the food and pharmaceutical sectors. She holds a bachelors’ of science in business administration. Visit: www.mt.com/pi