“Generally speaking, we see demand increasing, and manufacturers are more aware of the benefits: not just contaminant detection, but other benefits, too,” said Simon King, global head of sales, service and marketing at Eagle Product Inspection.
Historically, retailers such as Marks & Spencer and foodservice customers such as McDonald's have been seen as largely driving the market for X-ray through mandatory quality control for suppliers. “Twelve months ago, I’d have said this was still the main influence on the market, and retailer demands remain very important,” said King. “But we’re seeing a better business case feeding through to manufacturers, many of whom are starting to look beyond the basic ‘insurance policy’ view.”
Quality guarantee
Recent examples of installations by Eagle Product Inspection include salted snack and ready meal manufacturers. “If you have a ready meal containing portions of protein and different vegetables, a dual-energy X-ray system will not only check for contaminants,” said King. “It will use mass determination to give the overall weight, and will even provide analysis of each of the individual portions. So it provides an extra level of quality guarantee.”
At Ishida Europe, sales director Mike Hefferman agreed that retailer pressure on suppliers was still a key factor: “Some are very proscriptive when it comes to features such as reject failsafe systems, and of course it’s not enough to say you're using X-ray you need to track its use.”
Up to now, said Ishida, European markets such as Germany have seen greater penetration of X-ray in food. “Now, with the growth in the UK of the German discounters, such as Lidl and Aldi, many of the quality inspection demands already applying to their suppliers are being brought to the UK, too,” said Hefferman.
Necessary evil
For Ishida, customer complaints are another significant trigger for investment in X-ray. “As with other types of inspection, it’s seen as a necessary evil,” he added. “The common view is that, if you need it, your quality control isn't working. It doesn't earn you any money.”
Ishida, like Eagle, has seen particular interest in X-ray inspection equipment from the snacks industry. With products such as biscuits or crackers, the technology can multi-task, detecting broken or missing product as well as contaminants, Hefferman pointed out.
“Where food manufacturers are interested in X-ray, we are seeing a tightening of specifications, and a demand for systems which will detect ever smaller contaminants,” Eagle’s King added.