Food Safety
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Food Safety
  • NEWS
    • Latest News
    • White Papers
  • PRODUCTS
  • TOPICS
    • Contamination Control
    • Food Types
    • Management
    • Process Control
    • Regulatory
    • Sanitation
    • Supply Chain
    • Testing and Analysis
  • PODCAST
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Food Safety Five Newsreel
    • eBooks
    • FSM Distinguished Service Award
    • Interactive Product Spotlights
    • Videos
  • BUYER'S GUIDE
  • MORE
    • ENEWSLETTER >
      • Archive Issues
      • Subscribe to eNews
    • Store
    • Sponsor Insights
  • WEBINARS
  • FOOD SAFETY SUMMIT
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issues
    • Editorial Advisory Board
    • Contact
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!

Case Study: La Provence rolls out new cookie line baked in quality with equipment from Mettler Toledo Product Inspection Group

Mettler Toledo La Provence
January 12, 2018

As a family-owned wholesale bakery, La Provence makes artisan breads, pastries and cookies, which go to market under the La Provence and private label brands. Their baked goods, including organic, gluten-free and non-GMO varieties, are distributed to coffee shops and retailers, including several Fortune 500 companies. After purchasing a new cookie line in 2016, La Provence turned to Mettler Toledo for new inspection equipment to maximize their final product quality.

“It’s typical in the food industry to see companies simply react to problems. Our X-ray equipment, metal detectors, checkweighers and tank scales allow us to be proactive and confident that all our products are exceptional,” said Philip Dardaine, CEO of La Provence. “The most important thing is that our food is safe, for the sake of consumers and customers as well as ourselves. We take food safety very seriously. That’s why we rely on the Mettler Toledo Product Inspection Group.”

Mettler Toledo logo“Our first X-ray system was Safeline’s SmartChek, which we’ve had for over ten years now. We’ve been very impressed with its accuracy and ease of use. That’s why we decided to go straight to X-ray for our new cookie line last year,” said Dardaine. “Our sales rep, Kirk Isham at Pacific Packaging & Inspection, supported the decision.”

La Provence installed this latest X-ray machine, a Safeline X33, to inspect 5 oz. to 16 oz. tubs of cookies. The X33 detects dense foreign material, including all types of metal, and automatically rejects contaminated packages. As Mettler Toledo’s next generation solution, it features the same outstanding detection sensitivity as the SmartChek and AdvanCheck models but with a lower watt generator to reduce power consumption and operating costs.

“Detecting metal is imperative when you’re using metal mixers, and the X33 has incredible detection sensitivity. Not only can it find metal better than most metal detectors, but a system this powerful can identify something even as thin as a piece of fabric,” noted Dardaine. “Any foreign object gives customers a bad taste, both literally and figuratively. I’m a big believer in X-ray detection.”

Mettler Toledo also installed a Hi-Speed XC3 checkweigher on the same cookie line to detect and reject under- and over-filled packages. This economical checkweigher is compact and dependable, achieving 100 percent weight inspection with an accuracy of +/- 1 g. Handling up to 100 packages per minute and products up to 7.7 lb. in size, the XC3 features a dashboard-style touchscreen to provide easy access to product and machine performance information.

“The primary purpose of this checkweigher is to make sure that the cookies in the tub don’t weigh less than the amount on the label,” said Dardaine. “The additional benefit is that it also rejects overweight packages to help us quickly identify and correct problems before we sell a thousand tubs with too many cookies. This improves our yield and essentially pays for the machine.”

La Provence installed their first Mettler Toledo system, a PowerPhase metal detector, back in 1997. Twenty years later, it’s still in operation. Inspecting both individually packaged and bulk trays of breads and pastries, this system achieves superior detection sensitivity with high frequency coil technology and advanced head geometry. False rejects are virtually eliminated with the use of a ‘Faraday Screen’ that filters out interference.

“Many years ago, it was our customer, Starbucks, who encouraged us to protect our brand by protecting our quality. We researched metal detectors and spoke with other bakeries that worked with Starbucks,” said Dardaine. “We choose Mettler Toledo because of their well-recognized and respected name, and we choose PowerPhase for its sensitivity and consistency. When it comes to inspection equipment, we want the best.”

La Provence also turned to Mettler Toledo for two new tank scale systems in 2016 that utilize advanced IND780 weighing terminals. “These scales measure ingredients as they are dumped or conveyed into the kettles, which allows us to make recipes more accurately,” explained Dardaine. “Tank scales are tricky to install, because you have to work with welders, modify the tanks and position them correctly. We needed a world-class manufacturer and wanted Mettler Toledo on our team.”

“When it’s all said and done, our inspection systems protect our product quality,” concluded Dardaine. “From a commercial standpoint, this great equipment impresses our customers and builds our reputation. Our relationship with Mettler Toledo shows that we care about putting out a safe product.”

 

About Mettler Toledo

As the world's largest supplier of checkweighers, metal detectors and X-ray inspection systems, Mettler Toledo Hi-Speed and Mettler Toledo Safeline are the product inspection experts for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries.  Hi-Speed checkweighers ensure regulatory compliance, increase productivity and enhance operational excellence.  Safeline metal detectors and X-ray inspection systems detect solid contaminants and ensure product quality, portion control and package integrity for ultimate brand protection.  Our innovative products are backed by 24/7 technical support.

This article was originally posted on www.snackandbakery.com.

This article was originally posted on www.snackandbakery.com.
KEYWORDS: food safety technology

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • people holding baby chicks

    Serovar Differences Matter: Utility of Deep Serotyping in Broiler Production and Processing

    This article discusses the significance of Salmonella in...
    Meat/Poultry
    By: Nikki Shariat Ph.D.
  • woman washing hands

    Building a Culture of Hygiene in the Food Processing Plant

    Everyone entering a food processing facility needs to...
    Food Prep/Handling
    By: Richard F. Stier, M.S.
  • graphical representation of earth over dirt

    Climate Change and Emerging Risks to Food Safety: Building Climate Resilience

    This article examines the multifaceted threats to food...
    Risk Assessment
    By: Maria Cristina Tirado Ph.D., D.V.M. and Shamini Albert Raj M.A.
Manage My Account
  • eMagazine Subscription
  • Subscribe to eNewsletter
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Website Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Food Safety Magazine audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Food Safety Magazine or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • Two men standing in a produce storage facility having a discussion.
    Sponsored byOrkin Commercial

    Staying Compliant With FSMA

  • Deli Salads
    Sponsored byCorbion

    How Food Safety is Becoming the Ultimate Differentiator in Refrigerated and Prepared Foods

Popular Stories

Corporate manager talking with factory employees

Turning Resistance into Opportunity: Motivating Change in the Food Industry

Microphone in a conference room used for receiving public comment

FDA Seeks Input on New Method for Ranking Chemicals in Food for Post-Market Assessments

Image of executive signing legislation into law

Texas Governor Abbott Signs MAHA-Similar Bill into Law

Events

June 26, 2025

How to Design and Conduct Challenge Studies for Safer Products and Longer Shelf Life

Live: June 26, 2025 at 2:00 pm EDT: During this webinar, attendees will learn how to conduct challenge studies for microbial spoilage and pathogen growth, including the common challenges encountered, laboratory selection, and use of predictive models.

July 15, 2025

Hygienic Design Risk Management: Industry Challenges and EHEDG Guidance

Live: July 15, 2025 at 11:00 am EDT: From this webinar, attendees will learn the importance of hygienic design to ensure food safety and sanitation effectiveness.

July 22, 2025

Beyond the Binder: Digital Management of Food Safety

Live: July 22, 2025 at 3:00 pm EDT: During this webinar, attendees will learn best practices for the use of digital food safety management systems across industry and regulatory agencies.

View All

Products

Global Food Safety Microbial Interventions and Molecular Advancements

Global Food Safety Microbial Interventions and Molecular Advancements

See More Products
Environmental Monitoring Excellence eBook

Related Articles

  • Mettler Toledo X39 X-ray Inspection System conducts ten product integrity checks in one inspection pass

    Mettler Toledo X39 X-ray Inspection System conducts ten product integrity checks in one inspection pass

    See More
  • FSS news generic image

    Rentokil rolls out additional disinfection service to treat businesses with confirmed COVID-19 cases

    See More
  • TOMRA Nimbus

    Case Study: Morada Nut improves throughput with advanced sorting technology

    See More
×

Never miss the latest news and trends driving the food safety industry

eNewsletter | Website | eMagazine

JOIN TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing