Bunting’s meatLINE™ is Meeting New Challenges in Metal Detection

As humans, there are a few things all of us have in common. We all need to sleep, we all need to breathe, and we all need to eat and drink in order to survive. While we have come a long way from the days of our ancestors spearing wild animals and roasting them over the fire, we have a similar concern to those ancestors today. A caveman from thousands of years ago wouldn’t want metal contamination in his food, and while his may have come from a fragment of stone rather than metal as we know it today, the sentiment is the same. If a stray scrap of metal finds its way into our food, we are put at risk for bodily harm and we lose our trust in the company we purchased that food from. Fortunately, technology has come a long way since the Stone Age, and Bunting has designed some particularly innovative metal detection products to keep contaminants out of our food.

Like cavemen, humans today love meat. Meat, however, is one of the products most frequently at risk for metal contamination. Because animals must be slaughtered as part of the production process, they frequently arrive at manufacturing plants already bearing contamination. Other processes involved with handling meat, such as machinery used to grind, mash, and cut, can lead to contamination as well. For example, metal bolts come loose from machinery; metal-to-metal contact in devices such as can openers creates metal shards, and smaller metal parts simply break loose off of equipment such as wire mesh belts.

Don’t Let Yourself Fall Victim to Recalls: Protect Yourself with Advanced Metal Detection

In March 2019, Tyson Foods had to recall 69,000 pounds of frozen chicken strips due to two separate customers reporting contamination in chicken they had purchased. Just a few days ago, on October 11, Ruck’s Meat Processing of Belle Plaine, Minnesota pulled a huge batch of cured smoked beef after a customer complained about finding a fragment of metal in a piece of the beef. This contamination put consumers at risk of laceration to their mouths or throats, damage to their dental work, or even intestinal perforation. When meat contamination frequently presents itself in some of the most popular foods for children, such as chicken nuggets and hot dogs, we fear not just for ourselves, but for our families.

To combat the problem of metal contamination in meat products, Bunting has developed a product specifically for detecting and removing metal in meat. Bunting’s meatLINE™ metal detector allows for detection and removal of ferrous and non-ferrous metals from meat products, particularly ground meat. The unique reject mechanism of the meatLINE™ allows it to remove metal contaminant without sacrificing the integrity of the ground meat. As meat moves through a pressurized conveying line, contaminant particles are detected and removed while keeping the meat’s intended shape. Beyond meat, the meatLINE™ metal detection is excellent at examining any kind of liquid or paste type food product, such as jams, jellies, soups, and sauces.

Stainless steel is the most commonly used metal in meat processing, but it is known for being notoriously difficult to detect. The meatLINE™ can detect and separate any type of metal, whether it is encapsulated or free. It fits all commercial vacuum fillers, is pressure washer safe, and has a stable frame with lockable casters. Its reject mechanism can be taken apart in just a few simple steps without the need for tools. Reassembling is just as simple and quick as disassembly. Operation of the meatLINE is easy and fast thanks to a touch screen display that features a self-explanatory menu structure.

The meatLINE™ metal detector is a product you can depend on. All of its components are constructed from stainless steel or durable, food-safe plastic. It has a responsive, powerful, and permanently maintenance-free pneumatic drive that provides it with a long lifespan. In addition to these features, the meatLINE™ is also pressure washer safe.

For excellence in metal detection, trust BUNTING.

To learn more about the meatLINE™ metal detector, contact a representative today.