Metal contamination represents one of

the most common forms of foreign body

contamination in food products. In order
to reduce the occurrence of metal as a
hazard various control measures need to
be implemented including investment in
metal detection systems.

This whitepaper explains the reasons for

metal detection in food production
processes, the main sources of metal
contamination, elements of a metal
detection system, types of metal
detection, metal detection programs and
factors that affect metal detection.
Metal contamination of food products is a fact of food manufacturing life. Even with the most
robust metal detection controls, metal contamination of food still occurs. As is the case with
many aspects of food safety our objective is the reduction of metal hazards to an acceptable level
where total elimination is not possible.
If we take a look at modern food manufacturing processes we see that many unit operations in-
volve the use of metal materials such as cutting, slicing, crushing, sieving, mixing, pumping and
packing. Beyond this, metal is the standard fabrication material used in machinery, utensils and
handling equipment. Add to this the potential risk of contamination of ingredients purchased
from suppliers we can see that metal contamination presents a significant challenge for food safe-
ty.
Over the years, food standards and large retailers have developed requirements which demand
food businesses to adopt a series of controls to reduce the risk of metal contamination. The ap-
proach suggests that reliance on one single measure is inadequate to address the risk and by im-
plementing multiple measures of control and detection the food company can offer the consumer
the best level of protection. These controls typically take the form of inspection, checking, detec-
tion systems and removal of potential metal hazards.
Of these, detection systems have become an almost standard requirement for the majority of
food businesses particularly those operating under global food certification schemes or supplying
food retailers. Other motivations for conducting metal detection include reduction in customer
complaints, improved consumer protection, protection of business and brands and improved
compliance.
While metal detection involves the application of specific technologies to detect and reject/
remove metal contamination, it is not an absolute method and it is subject to variation in effec-
tiveness and sensitivity. In this regard, best practice and proper management of the metal detec-
tion system is vital to ensure maximum protection is achieved. Companies should seek the ad-
vice of expert suppliers of the technology in achieving this.

The Global Food Safety Initiative’s (GFSI) group of approved schemes set out very prescriptive
requirements for the control of possible foreign body hazards. The BRC Standard goes into spe-
cific requirements regarding metal detection and these can be found in section 4.10.3. The re-
quirements set out the need to have in place metal detection equipment based on an assessment
of risk. Requirements cover the location of equipment; reject systems, procedures to be followed
for checking of the unit and corrective actions.
The IFS Standard requirements are less prescriptive calling for where metal and/or other foreign
material detectors are required; they shall be installed to ensure maximum efficiency of detection,
in order to avoid subsequent contamination. Detectors shall be subjected to regular maintenance
to avoid malfunction. These requirements may be found in section 4.12. Other standards set out
requirements for metal contamination and some retailers maintain very prescriptive requirements
which must be met. Where the company deviates from these requirements these often need to be
supported by a detailed risk assessment and formal approval from the retail customers.

Metal can enter the product and process from a variety of sources. For this reason a range of ef-
fective metal control and detection systems should be designed and implemented based on a full
assessment of risk. This will usually be conducted as part of a HACCP study which includes in its
scope metal as a potential hazard. This hazard analysis and risk assessment should take into ac-
count raw materials, each process step, the nature and type of metal, size range of metal contami-
nation and legal/commercial requirements. Potential sources of contamination may include:
 Raw Materials including shot in meat, machine parts associated
with harvesting, hooks and wire
 Personal sources including pens, buttons, jewellery, coins, hair clips and keys
 Maintenance tools and effectives including spanners, wrenches, screwdrivers,
nuts, bolts, washers, scarf and filings
 Processing Equipment including crushers, cutters, knifes, sieves,
blenders and general machine parts and materials arising from wear and tear

As you will see the first line of defence is prevention. Best practice control should be established
before the detection regime is specified. These controls may include the following:
Supplier Control: A full risk assessment of suppliers and raw materials should be conducted. This
can lead to criteria for the selection and monitoring of suppliers and their detection methods to
ensure the burden of control does not rest solely on your final detection system. Standards for
suppliers should be clearly specified and documented and be a basis for approval of the supplier.
Machine and Equipment Design: Any new item of equipment should be fully assessed for unrea-
sonable risk of metal contamination of product. This may include the standard of fabrication and
design of the item and its ability to withstand normal production operations without excess wear
and tear and loss of machine parts. Utensils should be capable of withstanding robust use without
breakage.
Maintenance Programs: These should be designed to ensure equipment remains in an acceptable
state of repair and include regular inspection of moving parts for signs of excessive wear and tear.
Removal System: Other methods for the removal of metal from the product or ingredients may
include magnets and sieves.
Knife and Sharps Control: A specific system should be considered for the issue and checking of
these items which present a higher risk of breakage. The control system should include a register,
issue and reconciliation record, integrity check and control procedures in the event of damage.
The above systems are collectively designed to reduce the risk of metal contamination and en-
sure that the implemented detection system is not the only line of defence. However once metal
contamination has occurred it is important that the metal detection system is capable of detecting
and removing from the line the suspect product. Depending on the product, process, risk and
specific requirements, metal detection systems can be installed in two main stages of the opera-
tion:
In Process Inspection: This concerns the detection and removal of metal in bulk product prior to
the consumer unit.
End of Line Inspection: This concerns the detection and removal of metal contamination in con-
sumer units at the end of the production line. It is usually a requirement of food retailers and has
widespread application in the food industry.

The majority of metal detectors used in the food industry are balance coil systems. The system
generates a field which illuminates any metal particles present which in turn can be detected.
Metal detection heads can be of various shapes and sizes depending on the product which passes
through the opening in the head or aperture. When metal is detected by the head a signal is sent
to a control system designed to alert personnel and remove the product from the flow. Whichev-
er system is used it must have the capability of detecting ferrous, non-ferrous and stainless steel.
For foil packed products or similar metalized films an appropriate system will be required.

The system employed passes product through the head aperture. There are three main types of
metal detection systems based on the means of transport:
 Conveyor Mounted
 Vertical Packaging
 Pipeline Systems

Following the detection of metal an automatic reject system is often used to remove the contami-
nated product. Various methods are used depending on the product and transport system and
include:
 Push arm
 Air blast
 Drop Flat
 Value divert

Standards and retailers increasingly require additional controls in regard to the reject system.
These include employing a rejected product collector/container which has a secure/locked moni-
tor. Control may be by physical lock and key or code pad. In addition a failsafe alarm to signal
faulty operation should be fitted and a sensor to confirm contaminated product is rejected. Staff
should be alerted to a reject through a beacon and/or alarm which can also be used to signal
scheduled tests or when reject bins are full.

Conveyor mounted systems are usually located at the end of the line or as close to the end of the
line as practical. A continuous conveyor runs through the aperture carrying with it product packs
or units. Each is checked individually and rejected if metal is detected. The sensitivity of the de-
tection head is important in determining the type and size of metal pieces detected.
Sensitivity Requirements
The equipment must achieve the following:
 Sensitivity must be stable and require infrequent adjustment
 Not reject good product or provide false positive results
 Be capable of detecting metal in various orientations relative to the detection head

It is important to work with your equipment supplier in determining and establishing these con-
ditions. Sensitivity levels must be realistic and attainable and your supplier will be best placed to
provide guidance. In some cases customer technical standards will also provide suggested sensi-
tivity levels for their products. The following are sample sensitivities (mm) based on pack size
Reject Systems
Reject systems typically employed in conveyor mounted systems are carriage retracting band and
air blast, sweep/diverter arm and pushers. It is best practice to fully enclose the area around the
search head and rejection box. The reject box should be locked with access control for those au-
thorised to retrieve suspect product. To ensure staff are alerted to a detection a visual or audible
alarm system should be fitted. Belt stop systems are employed however should be avoided for
conveyor mounted as they increase the risk of contaminated product reaching the consumer.
Checking System
Due to the inherent variation in sensitivity the test regime should be designed to fully challenge
the metal detector system. A number of tests can be employed to achieve this. Best practice is to
check the system using clearly identified test packs under the same conductions as standard
products passing through the detection head with test pieces of a specified size. The test packs
should be passed through the detector successfully before using the test pieces. This is to ensure
they do not contain metal.
Following this, the test pieces must pass through the centre of the aperture with the test pack and
allowed to reject fully into the secure bin. It is also good practice to conduct consecutive leading
and trailing checks in long packs to ensure the reject mechanism can successfully reject. The test
must be representative of how products would normally travel through the detector during nor-
mal production.
Test pieces should be controlled and ensure the size of the metal can be verified e.g. they are
manufactured with a serial number or issued with a certificate which is held on file for inspection.
Test packs can be made up in advance by a designated person, controlled and labelled with prod-
uct, date, test piece size and type. Test packs must be maintained at the same temperature as the
operating conditions of the process and product.
Test Piece Position

Consecutive testing should be included in your check program where all test packs (Ferrous, Non
Ferrous, and Stainless Steel) should pass through the detector one after each other with normal
spacing/line speed.
Consecutive Testing

Memory testing should be considered whereby test packs are sent through the metal detector
with a standard pack in between (which has already passed through the metal detector). This can
be carried out at the start and end of a shift.
Memory Testing

Where the test pack is longer than the width of the detection head consecutive leading and trail-
ing checks can be conducted to ensure the reject mechanism can successfully reject.
In general checks should be conducted on an hourly basis. Ultimately the frequency of checks
should be set based on a full risk assessment. All checks of the metal detection system must be
documented and signed by the trained individual who has carried out the check. The actual time
should be recorded.
These checks should include:
 Start of production, hourly, end of production
 No .of rejects
 Fail safe checks (where applicable)
 Corrective actions for any failed checks
 Investigation on rejected product
 Confirmation of metal checks should be recorded as Pass/P or Fail/F (or equivalent in local
language). Ticks and dashes should be avoided.

Sample Metal Detection Record

Fail Safe Systems

Depending on the risk assessment the following fail safe systems should be incorporated into
your metal detection program. These systems are designed to ensure that metal contamination
does not occur where machine failure arises or set up is incorrect. The following fail safe systems
are available:
 Reject confirmation system: automatic belt stop fail safe system, to confirm metal contami-
nated products have not successfully entered the reject bins
 Bin full system: an automatic belt stop fail safe system which activates should the reject
product collection box become full
 Air pressure system: an automatic belt stop fail safe system, to cover air pressure failures to
the rejection mechanism
 Search head failure: an automatic belt stop fail safe system to confirm detection head fault
 Back up sensor: an automatic belt stop fail safe system, to activate should product back up
out the feed belt of the metal detector
In this format there is a throat metal detector and a bag former underneath. They are normally
used for certain flowing products.
Sensitivity
Sensitivity values vary from process to process. You should consult your equipment supplier
when setting specifications. The following are sample sensitivities (mm) based on aperture diame-
ter:

Reject System
In this system, when metal is detected a signal is sent to the bag-maker to produce a double bag
or stop. An audible and/or visible alarm to indicate that the system is stopped is normally fitted.
Testing
Ferrous, non-ferrous and stainless steel test pieces should be placed in the product flow and suc-
cessful rejections observed.

These systems are designed for liquid, paste and

slurry type products. Inspection is conducted as the
products are pumped through a pipeline prior to
being dispensed into the final pack. This method is
effective where the final product is packed into ma-
terials which do not lend themselves well to metal
detection e.g. metal cans. The system will include an
automated reject valve immediately after the metal
detection head with an audible and visual indicator
to signal when contamination is found.
Picture: Pipe-line System
Sensitivity
Sensitivity values vary from process
to process. You should consult with
your equipment supplier when set-
ting specifications. The following are
sample sensitivities (mm) based on
aperture diameter.

Reject System
Systems of this type should incorporate an automated reject valve immediately after the metal
detection head with an audible and visual indicator to signal when contamination is found. Con-
taminated product should be rejected into a suitable secure container.
Testing
With pipeline systems, test pieces should ideally be placed in the product flow and successful re-
jection observed. In instances where placing a test piece in the product flow is not practical, the
system may be tested by inserting test pieces between the pipeline and the detection head (in the
direction of product flow) and observing the operation of the reject system.
Picture: Test piece in product stream

Picture: Test piece between pipe and detector

Any test piece which fails to be detected is considered to be a failed test. The line must be
stopped (where possible) and product isolated (using hold procedures) from the last good check.
The equipment must be fixed by an engineer prior to production re-starting. The re-testing of
product which has been isolated after a test failure must be documented on the metal detection
records.

If product is rejected it must be investigated for metal contamination. If the product is tempera-
ture controlled or delicate it should be disposed of due to the risk of temperature abuse. Ideally
all rejected product should be disposed of, however if there is a high level of rejected product it
should be successfully passed through the detector 3 times in different orientations. If it fails on
one of these occasions it should be investigated for metal contamination and disposed of. If the
product successfully passes 3 times it can be accepted. Rejected product collection box release
keys should be held by nominated staff only. If multiple rejects are observed the line should be
stopped for investigation.

All staff involved with foreign body detection must be trained not only in the technical and oper-
ational aspects but also the principles of metal and foreign body detection to ensure full under-
standing of the purpose. Personnel in the factory who monitor CCPs must have an understanding
of HACCP and have specific training against the latest version of the relevant monitoring proce-
dure.

Metal Type
Depending on the type of metal passing through the detection head the ease of detection will
vary. Ferrous metals are easily detected while stainless steel is relatively difficult to detect. Non-
ferrous metals such as copper and lead are relatively easy to detect.
Metal Shape & Orientation
The shape and orientation of the metal passing through the head also affects the ease of detec-
tion. Ferrous metals orientated in line with the head can be difficult to detect however if present-
ed at a 90 o angle are easier for the head to pick up.
Non-ferrous metals however display the opposite properties being easy to detect in line with the
head and difficult at 90o.
Picture: Aperture Size / Position in the Aperture

Environmental Conditions
Specification should be developed in conjunction with the equipment supplier to ensure the sys-
tem can perform effectively in the intended working environment. Performance should not be
adversely affected by external electrical interference or by plant operating conditions – e.g. wet
environments, areas of high vibration, and extremes of temperature or harsh hygiene procedures.
Product Characteristics
Dry products such as sugar, flour, snacks, confectionery and cereals have a high sensitivity while
wet products such as ready meals, meat, fish, sauces and preserves display a reduced sensitivity.
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