Snacks, Confectionery & Chocolate
REDUCING METAL CONTAMINATION RISKS IN SNACKS & CONFECTIONERY.
The snacks and confectionery industry contains a wide variety of risks where metal fragment contamination can occur – ranging from equipment wear (such as chocolate conches) to contamination in incoming raw materials. Some ingredients such as salt, sugar, and gluten are more likely to contain tiny metal fragments than other ingredients.
Magnetic separators are often installed in jacketed chocolate lines or syrup lines above bulk ingredient discharges, upstream of powder sprinkles, post minor ingredient intakes, and at ingredient bag dump areas.
It is critical to ensure magnets are installed at ingredient intakes and several key processing locations through the plant prior to final products and packing. Magnetic separators should be installed upstream of final metal detection.
- When used on sticky products, it is essential to ensure the configuration and cleaning methods or mechanisms won’t bind up or be affected by residual.
- Can the magnet be easily and safely accessed for cleaning?
- Does the working temperature of the magnets suit the application?
- Is the magnet design sanitary and compliant?
- Does the separator assembly comprise of high grade magnetics (such as RE80®) to ensure longevity and maintaining of magnet strength?
- What design criteria is in place to ensure effective magnetic separation is achieved without blockages?
- What means are taken to ensure magnet strength is maintained over time?
- Does the magnet comply with current HACCP and best practice standards (e.g. 0909MAGSEP 1-2010)?
- Is the magnet supplied with adequate certification?
- USDA Accepted models available
- Patents and patents pending.