Foreign material control is imperative in food processing, so creating the right culture, setting high expectations, and developing strong detection capabilities are key.

A strong culture of cross-functional teams engaged in problem solving at the plant level supports a consistent focus on foreign material prevention.

A new approach for significantly improving detection probabilities and reducing the need for manual verification of foreign material contamination of food products is described.

Only one big thing matters most in the IQF vegetable world: cleaning. 

Microplastics include particles of varying size, shape, and chemical composition that contribute to contamination of the environment and the food supply.

Foreign material is introduced in two ways: via raw materials and internally by the production process. They offer different challenges and require specific strategies to address them.

As the food production environment should not be a source of biological, chemical or physical contamination, the different steps to mitigate those risks will be examined in terms of hygienic zoning.

Most physical contaminants of foods, such as pieces of hard plastic or wood, can cause consumers immediate injury; this includes all types of foods, including beverages, bottled water, and nutritional and functional products.

Does packaging pose a risk, and how should it be addressed in your food safety management system?

Foreign material can be a difficult and costly issue in food manufacturing.