Bakery & Confectionery X-ray Inspection Services

X-ray inspection services for baked goods

Contaminant detection in bakery, confectionery and un-packaged food products.

The process of baking and manufacturing high-volume, lower-cost foods makes it vulnerable to physical contamination as well as a myriad of other quality issues.

The shorter shelf-life of baked goods and confectionery also demands an incredibly fast and cost-effective x-ray food inspection service.

Accurate x-ray detection, even in frozen goods

Our x-ray inspection systems can identify tiny contaminants within bakery and confectionery goods including glass, stone and bone, metal plus some plastics and rubbers.

AIS’ high resolution x-ray sensors can detect sieve wire fragments as small as a 0.2mm diameter in a single item or 1.0mm in a multi-pack or case.

Our x-ray inspection equipment is highly customisable to inspect a huge range of bakery foods – whether frozen, packaged or provided as single items – and can simultaneously identify common quality concerns such as under-fill and product agglomerate.

Frozen food?

No problem! Find out more in our FAQs

Short shelf-life?

We offer an incredibly rapid turn-around

We offer an impressively rapid turnaround on food items such as chocolate, “long life” bakery (muesli bars, cookies) and frozen “bake in store” products, to put your baked goods safely back into distribution quicker than any other company.

ISO accredited

Certified to operate a Quality Management System

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Achieve compliance

Food safety standards: HACCP, TACCP, GFSI & GMP

We are ISO accredited to help manufacturers and suppliers achieve regulatory compliance including HACCP and TACCP.

Fast and cost-effective x-ray inspection for bakery & confectionery goods

Whether a CCP has failed or a product batch needs to be urgently tested, AIS will provide an immediate response and assessment to solve your suspected problem.

Free sample inspection

Free, immediate and confidential evaluation

Book now
Call our Rapid Response Service

01933 674 030

Ensure quality and compliance

AIS’ bakery x-ray inspection service is the ideal solution to help manufacturers manage a potential recall crisis, also available for routine quality checks at a simple per-unit cost.

Book a free and confidential evaluation or request a call back by our experienced team.

Potential recall crisis?

Our service is always fast and reliable

Routine quality checks

Available at a simple per-unit cost

Speak to the team

    Bakery & Confectionery FAQs

    What contaminants and defects can be detected in baked goods?

    What contaminants and defects can be detected in baked goods?

    Our x-ray technology can quickly and simultaneously identify many contaminant types and quality concerns in bakery and confectionery, in many forms of packaging – even if the product is frozen.

    Typical examples of contaminants and defects which can be detected in baked goods include:

    • Contaminants inside packaging or within the food itself
    • Mineral stones, bone and glass fragments
    • Metal, certain rubbers and plastics – common machinery faults
    • The smallest stainless steel sieve wire fragments down to 0.2mm diameter
    • Product agglomerate in coated cereal products
    • Under-filled pies and missing components in multi-packs
    What size of physical contaminant can be detected in bakery and confectionery?

    What size of physical contaminant can be detected in bakery and confectionery?

    The size that we can identify is influenced by the thickness and homogeneity of the product, its packaging and size and the contaminants’ density and position within the food or pack.

    Our highest resolution x-ray scanner (the Micron Scan) can detect a sieve wire of just 0.2mm in a single item or a piece of metal just 1.0mm sphere in a multi-pack or case. It can also detect glass fragments down to 1.0mm as well as stone, calcified bone and certain rubbers and plastics.

    We offer a free and confidential assessment to guarantee the highest accuracy for your particular problem.

    How long does it take to inspect the product?

    How long does it take to inspect the product?

    The inspection time is dependent on the target defect or contaminant, the product and pack size, if it can be inspected in a case or has to be stripped from the case, re-shrunk wrapped etc.

    A pallet can be as quick as 5 minutes or as long as two hours.

    Request a Free Sample Inspection for AIS to evaluate your product and the likely timescale required for your particular problem.

    You can also call us – we can often evaluate the issue on the phone.

    Does AIS have frozen or chilled facilities?

    Does AIS have frozen or chilled facilities?

    We regularly provide a safe, fast and effective inspection service for frozen and chilled foods, however we do not offer freezers or refrigerated storage on the premises.

    We have multiple hook up points and a large secure yard which can accommodate up to 10 refrigerated trailers.

    Working directly from the trailers, each pallet is removed it is temperature monitored throughout the inspection process and then immediately returned to the trailer (or a spare trailer which is then replaced on the next load). A full trailer can usually be inspected and turned round in a few hours.

    We regularly inspect chilled and frozen food for well-known brands and this has proven to be the most efficient method.

    How reliable are the inspection techniques?

    How reliable are the x-ray inspection techniques?

    AIS has many years’ of experience in providing specialist x-ray inspection services. We are ISO accredited to help you achieve compliance for potential recall incidents, HACCP and TACCP.

    Over 95% of our business is repeat business from long term clients, mainly within the food and pharmaceutical sectors.

    Reliability can differ due to many factors. We will always give a clear and honest appraisal of what is achievable and be prepared to demonstrate that to you at any time.

    Request a Free Sample Inspection for AIS to evaluate your product and problem.

    Is there a risk in passing food products through an x-ray system?

    What is the risk of passing food products through an x-ray system?

    X-ray inspection which delivers a dose of less than 0.5 Gy to food products is permitted under EU Directive 1999/2/EC.

    The dose received by a product passing through an x-ray system is extremely low, typically for an x-ray linescan system it is less than 0.2 milli-Gy.

    For more detailed information please visit this European Food Information Council article, or see: “How safe is X-ray Inspection?

    Is the x-ray equipment for hire?

    Can I hire x-ray inspection equipment?

    Yes, some of our customisable x-ray inspection systems and metal detectors are available to rent at your premises. These can be hired, subject to availability, on flexible contract periods – usually for an immediate or short term requirement.

    Find out more about X-Ray Inspection Equipment Hire.

    White Papers

    Reasons for an X-Ray Inspection Programme

    There is currently no legal requirement for food and pharmaceutical manufacturers to implement an x-ray inspection programme, however the benefits will far outweigh the financial investment.

    The potential costs of failure involve product and packaging waste, damaged machinery and loss of output. The costs of an eventual product recall could easily escalate.

    This white paper justifies implementation of a well-designed x-ray inspection programme – from protecting profitability, consumer welfare and brand reputation to ensuring product quality plus assisting in compliance and due diligence defence.

    Go to the Mettler-Toledo website

    How Safe is X-Ray Inspection of Food?

    How Safe is X-Ray Inspection of Food?

    People are right to be wary of radiation, but that doesn’t mean they should be concerned by the use of x-rays in food inspection.

    The use of x-ray inspection equipment is both highly regulated and increasingly common; this white paper assesses the safety of x-ray inspection of food.

    Go to the Mettler-Toledo website

    Read more about how x-ray inspection does not harm food in our FAQs.