It‘s exciting when a company sees an opportunity for growth. The lure of new markets, better ways to provide new and improved products, and the chance to spread its mission and benefit more customers, add up to a compelling corporate vision. In the food industry, that opportunity also comes with new challenges - both market-based and regulatory.

A closer look: Customers Nutradried Creations

Nutradried Creations is a Blaine, Washington-based leader that uses state-of-the-art technology to create shelf stable, healthy snacks derived from natural, whole foods. As a company, it boasts a track record that demonstrates it is about more than turning a profit.



Nutradried Creations has a compelling, simple mission statement: Nutradried Creations’ purpose and mission is to create a Triple Bottom Line – impacting people’s lives and bringing profit to shareholders – through social business by selling environmentally and socially responsible products that will ensure that the customer receives the best nutritional products possible, through the innovative use of our patented process and strategic relationships.

For example, it partners with organizations like Agros International, a Seattle-based nonprofit that assists poor, rural farmers in purchasing their own land through low-interest or interest-free loans. This helps these farmers break out of their generational poverty cycle. By only purchasing ethical ingredients that are fairly traded, Nutradried also partners with its customer to provide a fair wage for a beautiful product. This helps to enable farmers to provide food, clothing, shelter, and an education for their children.

The achievements are impressive. With Agros, Nutradried Creations helped develop 42 villages, aiding 24,000 farmers and fostering generational change.

It is now doing similar work in Ethiopia by supporting dairies that feed orphanages and provide economic opportunity for their local communities. To help achieve these and other goals, the company needs vendors it can trust to help it on the operation and processing side.

The HACCP challenge

In addition to new customer expectations, Nutradried CreationsIt is now doing similar work in Ethiopia by supporting dairies that feed orphanages and provide economic opportunity for their local communities. To help achieve these and other goals, the company needs vendors it can trust to help it on the operation and processing side. must also comply with a higher compliance bar raised by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the past several years. Perhaps the most significant are the much tougher Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) requirements. When an inspector comes calling at your food processing facility, they expect to find strong evidence that you have completed a hazard analysis, and have a plan that includes, identified critical control points (CCPs), and the limits for each CCP; as well as introduced CCP monitoring processes, procedures and corrective actions, ensuring your HACCP system functions as intended.

Of these, FDA warning letters have tended to most often focus on corrective actions. The final rule requires a plant‘s HACCP plan to identify the corrective actions to be taken if a critical limit is not met. Corrective actions are intended to ensure that no product leaves the facility that has been adulterated or is dangerous to human health.

Sesotec Inc.’s solution is HACCP, BRC, and IFS compliant with no foreign contaminants“ says Nutradried Creations Plant Manager Phil Fraley. That‘s especially important for a company with a higher calling to help the economically disadvantaged.

Working with Sesotec Inc. also gives Nutradried Creations more confidence when preparing for a customer audit. “We want to be ready,“ Phil said. “We want our customers to have confidence in doing business with us.“



The search

Phil‘s team evaluated nine different X-ray suppliers. “We spent about twelve hours going through the capabilities for each,“ he adds. Ultimately, many things set Sesotec Inc. apart from the pack, but Phil cites one example: A commitment to quality training.

“Sesotec Inc. included quality training in their fees and provided us with a great machine,“ Phil said. Competitors wanted to charge up to $5,000 to provide training, he added. He spent about four hours putting together spreadsheets and presented the Nutradried Creations‘ owners with the recommendation to go with Sesotec Inc. RAYCON Technology.

A closer look The RAYCON product inspection system for packaged products

In addition, packaging components such as aluminum clips on sausage chubs or aluminium pie plates can be masked out as needed. RAYCON’s unique edge filter technology will analyse dense packaging edges in metal cans or carton walls, compensate for them; but still find foreign material at these edges. So 100% package inspection is always taking place with the RAYCON. Users like Nutradried Creations can operate with confidence with this kind of support.



RAYCON‘s innovative software also delivers a number of advantages. The use of real-time, solid-state flash memory, means no longer having to account for error- prone spinning hard drives. A Linux operating system - known the world over as a very robust industrial platform - allows for the full processing horsepower of a dedicated image analysis computer to find the smallest foreign material in food products. Finally, the electronic design is modular and rugged; no UPS is required for system protection, and access is easy, for lower cost of ownership.

The future

Because of its partnership with Sesotec Inc., Phil says the company will now be able to pursue larger partners, including private labels. “This represents a potentially big growth opportunity for Nutradried Creations,“ Phil stressed. “We benefit from working with partners who share our commitment to doing things well and doing them right.“
Phil and the team at Nutradried Creations remain committed to providing high-quality products that benefit people all over the globe. Working with a partner like Sesotec Inc., they are confi dent they‘ll achieve their worthy goals.

Nutradried Creations is a company full of dedicated, visionary professionals who firmly believe that getting also means giving. It‘s understandably proud of all that it has achieved by providing quality food inextricably linked with fair treatment of farmers and others in the production and delivery chain, but now it‘s hungry for more. At Nutradried Creations, the future is now.

Sesotec meets the demand for the best sensitivity
Al-Yemeni Cafe, a Cairo based Egyptian company, is a leading producer of ground Turkish coffee. Operating from its own 10,000 square metre factory since 1940, Al-Yemeni Cafe employs the latest state-of-the-art machinery to improve product quality and ensure customer satisfaction. The plant complies with all IFS, ISO 9001 and HACCP standards and holds many quality accreditations from external organisations.
It was particularly important for this application to select metal detection systems that meet all the HACCP and IFS requirements. It is also a requirement to accurately separate material containing contamination with a swivel hopper rather than a flap which may cause problems with product deposits.



Since May 2013 Al-Yemeni Cafe have been using an Sesotec RAPID 8000 metal detector with integral rejection systems designed specifically for free-falling bulk materials. This model was chosen because of its high sensitivity and the ease with which it will detect all magnetic and non-magnetic metal contamination – even when contamination is enclosed in the product. Metal contaminants are removed using an integral swivel hopper. The 8000 metal detection systems is part of the Sesotec RAPID range of products and is particularly suited to food industry applications where high levels of hygiene are required. Its low overall height even with large nominal widths guarantees easy integration of the metal separator into existing pipe systems.

P-SCAN Metal detector for pipelines to quality control in the food industry according to IFS, BRC, HACCP, ISO 22000 etc.

The beginnings of our reference customer can be traced back to the early 17th century. After a rapid rise in the thirties the company was completely destroyed in the years of war, what however, could not keep our customer from pursuing their dream.

What has once started as a small bakery has until today grown into a medium-size family owned company that produces noodles in various forms, sauces and several ready-made products.

In this big industrial company on an area of more than 20,000 m² about 150 employees are producing products of perfect quality under highest technical and hygienic standards. This company just outside Munich required a metal detector with a focus primarily in detection.

In the inquiry from Bernbacher, quality assurance was the most important factor. According to the customer´s description a system should be used to help with noodle filling at the end of a production line. Furthermore, the desired sensitivities that should be reached already were defined and were the incentive for the upcoming test series in the company.



The tests were performed with pasta noodles in free fall, using a P-SCAN RS 170 metal detector. For this application the closed metal detector with round aperture of the P-SCAN Series was exactly the right solution. This system can be perfectly matched to customer specific requirements and can be easily integrated in almost all types of standard pipelines. Only a few tests were necessary because right from the start the results were quite clear. The customer´s requirements concerning the desired scanning sensitivities could be exceeded by far and the reference customer also was highly satisfied with clear and hygienic design.



High scanning sensitivity for all metals at the noodle filling In addition to all the technical criteria and the positive results, the excellent service and the
perfect project handling also were decisive for the decision for a continuing cooperation with Sesotec.

One of the biggest Indonesian food companies located in Jakarta and with a market presence of almost 50 years, has developed into a global market
leader of instant Noodles. Its target is to achieve this also with all its other products such as spice mixtures and sauces. The company‘s success was to provide consumers with instant meals in typical Indonesian flavours – which is why the spice division is so important.

The problem: Metal inspection without interruption of the flow or reduction of the conveying speed

When this customer looked for a metal detector, he expected this system to remove metallic contaminations from dry spices inspected in pneumatic pipes without causing any interruptions of the production process. For this purpose the metal detector had to be hermetically integrated in the customer‘s pipeline system in which the spice mixtures are transported at high speed.

The solution: GF 4000 offers reliability in the metal separation at high conveying speed and without production interruption.

The metal detector GF 4000 detects all metallic impurities and separates them reliably by means of the „Quick Flap“ separation system with minimal material loss and without a production stop. In addition, specially developed for material conveyor speeds up to 20 m/sec.

The outcome: Maximum interference immunity and highest reliability – both mechanically and in terms of the process.

The reliability of the GF 4000 with r espect to detection and separation of contaminations with minimum loss of good material, the easy installation and the high stability during production were the deciding factors for this food producer.

Fruit experts rely on a daily routine check for optimal quality assurance

One of the leading manufacturers of fruit preparations in Germany, has leveraged its vast experience, creativity and flexibility for over 50 years to produce semifinished and finished products for the ice cream, baking, dairy, beverage and chocolate industries. These products are sold through food retailers and also to the food service industry. The company’s business units are divided into fruit preparations/purees, fruit in alcohol and fresh convenience products such as fruit salads.



Driven by inventiveness, innovation, experience and state-of-the-art production processes, the quality of these first-class products is underscored by numerous renowned certifications such as IFS Food and BIO.

The problem: Complying with food safety laws and regulations.

Naturally, coping with limited resources requires sustainable management and technological innovations. Global competition and stricter regulations, moreover, further increase the pressure to constantly innovate technologically in order to boost productivity and profitability. Laws and regulations, meanwhile, require the use of inspection equipment in food production. Continuously complying with these regulations often creates major challenges for customers, such as dealing with the technology itself, a lack of knowledge about its correct handling and managing standards that vary from country to country.
Many customers face the problem of lacking the knowledge of which setting parameters can cause a significant change in product safety and process relevance. A validation process can aid these customers to overcome this challenge and take a successful path towards compliance with food safety standards. Such as process can also be used as a service.

The solution: manufacturer validation with validation certificate.

Validation takes place at the beginning of the life cycle of a product inspection system – that is, after initial installation but before release for commercial production. It represents an initial qualification of a device based on the specified functional descriptions. Validation provides evidence that the selected device, when used correctly, is capable of meeting the specified targets in all cases. Such specifications may relate to detection accuracy, but also to other functions such as the correct operation of the ejection device. According to International Featured Standards (IFS), validation is the confirmation, based on objective evidence, that requirements for the specific intended use or application are being met. The Codex Alimentarius Commission, meanwhile, defines validation as the provision of evidence that a control measure, or a combination of control measures, when properly implemented, can achieve both hazard control and specified result.



Manufacturer validation is conducted by a service engineer at the end customer‘s premises. While it may take place at the same time as the commissioning of the equipment, during maintenance or at a special validation appointment, on-site manufacturer validation is targeted to be carried out after commissioning. It takes place when the equipment is already running stably, and specifically addresses the needs and requirements of the customer. The validation certificate issued is unique, because it provides proof of normal distribution and another threshold or checkpoint for daily routine testing. It also serves as proof for the customer of annual maintenance and supports the daily routine tests.

The customer benefit: Repeatable performance of body testing with evaluation and documentation.



Typically, re-validation must be performed when significant changes are made to a metal detector. However, re-validation can be avoided if, after validation, when a test body is placed on the ground the value no longer falls below the lower limit value. For instance, there would be no need for re-validation if the product angle, the conveyor speed or the sensitivity are changed and it turns out tha t the specified detection range is maintained. The upper range can be neglected, as a higher detection of the test bodies is advantageous. If a validation certificate is available, re-validations are not necessary. The bottom line is that validation helps to avoid food waste, conserve resource and increase productivity and thus profitability.

X-ray technology to find stones

EUROVERDE uses X-ray technology to find the smallest stones in soups

EUROVERDE Societa Agricola in Azzano Mella in the province of Brescia in Lombardy stands for tradition and craftsmanship in vegetable growing. For more than 60 years of experience, the family business today refines a wide variety of vegetables and lettuces into top-quality products in three farms with more than 100 employees and a cultivated area of 200 hectares. In line with the best agricultural cultivation practices, EUROVERDE continuously invests in technological innovations. In this way, the highest quality and safety standards are maintained, sustainability and traceability are achieved - basic prerequisites for the continuous growth of the company.

Specializing in the production of ready meals, soup and salads, EUROVERDE subjects all fresh products to the least possible processing after harvesting in order to maintain hygienic safety, taste and nutritional values.

The company has multiple certifications, including BRC and IFS Food. In 2017, EUROVERDE also obtained organic certification as a manufacturer of ready meals.

The problem: Natural ingredients such as stones, can affect the quality of the final products
EUROVERDE‘s entire product range is the result of a quality process at the highest level. In the field of foreign matter management, EUROVERDE has been using various metal detectors for years to separate metal particles of any kind from the products.

However, when processing fresh food from the field, the risk that natural components, such as stones, remain in the product could be high, compromising the safety and quality of the product.

The solution: Using X-ray technology to find all foreign bodies, not just metals.
In the food industry, quality has top priority and EUROVERDE also takes the safety of its products very seriously. In order to detect not only metal particles, but also the smallest stones, the company was looking for a reliable solution and found it in X-ray technology. X-ray inspection systems detect all foreign bodies in food that differ in density from the product being inspected.

Customer benefits: Improving product quality through X-ray inspection
Since the installation of the X Ray machines, many stones have been found, they are able to detect smaller pieces, even with half of the size as before. „EUROVERDE adheres to the family tradition of producing only safe products of the highest quality. Therefore, we strive to optimize the production processes with the best technologies. With Sesotec‘s X-ray technology, we have found the support we need to tackle the stone problem and meet our quality requirements,“ says Benedetta Manzini, EUROVERDE Quality Assurance.