Metal Detecting Repass

Hello,

Good day!

Does anyone who works in a large scale of food corporation has METAL DETECTING REPASS procedure? This means that when a contaminated product was been detected by the METAL DETECTOR, the contaminated product shall be repassed to other metal detector to ensure that the product is free from metal contaminant. 

Does anyone can share his/her repass procedure to me for my reference in making metal detector repass procedure.

Hope you all could help me.

Thank you and Godbless

- Christine

QAD Rebisco

If the Metal Detecting Repass does happen remember this is a deviation from your HACCP and should be recorded on your HACCP deviation form.

Take a look at the sample below and let me know if it works for you.

PURPOSE: 
To assure uniform testing and proper functioning of the on-line metal detection systems.

SCOPE:
All metal detection equipment located on processing lines

EQUIPMENT:
Standardized detecting rods

Metal Detector

Line: Size of test rods + name of program on metal detector and serial number of metal detector

PROCEDURE : For Packaging Line Detectors:

1. Place sanitized ferrous detecting rod/card on top of the product or product container.

2. Pass through the metal detector.

3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 using the non-ferrous and stainless steel detecting rod.

4. "Frequency of your testing here"

5. All rods must be detected, light activated and stoppage of the line on the first pass through the detector, if either rod fails a test, stop production and notify maintenance immediately.

6.  If rod is detected but the line stop mechanism is not timed properly or functioning to remove the product from the main line, stop production immediately, and notify maintenance and supervisor. If the alert light on the detector does not activate when the line stops, maintenance needs to be called.

7. If detector is functioning properly, re-run product used during test back through detector.

8. If detector continues to fail, the product shall be repassed to other metal detector to ensure that the product is free from metal contaminant.

9. Record all results on the log sheet. Any malfunctions must include a record of the corrective action taken and be included.

It's not a good practice this is like shopping around between mom and dad trying to get something the other said no to.

If metal is detected you should search the product to try to find the metal that the detector detected.

We verify the product rejected by the metal detector online by passing it through a properly working metal detector 3 additional times.  If the product passes through 3 times without being rejected again then we consider the package to be acceptable.  If the package is rejected one time when re-passing it then it is considered unacceptable and we do search the product to see if we can find the object.  --  The reason we do the re-pass procedure is because our system rejects 4 packages of product at a time even though only one of the packages might have cause the trigger.  Also, we understand that other things can trigger the rejection mechanisms such as excessive vibrations, packages brushing against equipment and line getting backed up and causing a jam up of the product.

If we know that we actually have a possible metal contamination with the product then we set the metal detector down to an even lower setting to pass the product through in order to ensure that we have done everything we could to verify that we are only sending acceptable product out the door.  If the product is rejected even once during the potential contamination screening then it is rejected; we do not re-pass this product even though we know the possibility of false rejects is higher at the lower setting.

Mr. Incognito, you are correct. In the procedure I am trying to say what to do in the case that the metal detector malfunctioned completely. Instead of completely bypassing the metal detector (and he is stating that he has another metal detector on another line) then he needs to use that one that is calibrated for that product.

LeeAnn, we also have the same repass 3X (to "narrow" which is the contaminated product), but as an extra precaution QC still looks through the product in the case that it does pass 3X.

Auditors will ask, "What do you do with the product if it passes the 3x?"

What do you think the correct answer should be? We let it go even though the metal detector initially rejected the product or __________. I'm just saying.

We verify the product rejected by the metal detector online by passing it through a properly working metal detector 3 additional times.  If the product passes through 3 times without being rejected again then we consider the package to be acceptable.  If the package is rejected one time when re-passing it then it is considered unacceptable and we do search the product to see if we can find the object.  --  The reason we do the re-pass procedure is because our system rejects 4 packages of product at a time even though only one of the packages might have cause the trigger.  Also, we understand that other things can trigger the rejection mechanisms such as excessive vibrations, packages brushing against equipment and line getting backed up and causing a jam up of the product.

So you pack false rejects? We track false rejects to make sure our MD is working as intended but still scrap any false rejects even if they are free of FM.

We do pack our false rejects. 

Dear All,

(Devil's advocate)

I guess the strictness  may depend on the situation, ie product/consumer ? To be audited ?

The above interesting procedures appear to me to involve statistics as much as metal contamination,  eg  - 

(a) do you believe yr metal detector ?, ie what constitutes validation of the MD ? (typically standard samples / standard procedure IMEX)

(b) what is an (average?) acceptable error rate in a validated MD ? (eg how many times/day/month do you accept 3/4 repass negatives as meaning false positive?)

© When to  physically examine the sample for metal contamination ?

i would suggest the first thing you might consider is locating an "officially" validated procedure for follow-up to a kicked out unit.  Especially if the application is to be "sensitive". Perhaps the MD supplier ? or the "FDA" ? or literature ?

If such does not exist, which seems rather unlikely, presumably any "reasonable" ad hoc procedure is feasible if a "reasonable" self-validation can be presented.

(Not that the propositions are uninteresting / unappreciated - quite the opposite !)

Rgds / Charles.C

added -

one example from Safefood 360 White Paper - Metal Detection

http://safefood360.c...es/whitepapers/

If product is rejected it must be investigated for metal contamination. If the product is temperature controlled or delicate it should be disposed of due to the risk of temperature abuse. Ideally all rejected product should be disposed of, however if there is a high level of rejected product it should be successfully passed through the detector 3 times in different orientations. If it fails on one of these occasions it should be investigated for metal contamination and disposed of If the product successfully passes 3 times it can be accepted. Rejected product collection box release keys should be held by nominated staff only. If multiple rejects are observed the line should be stopped for investigation.

( the UL is mine)

(a high level of rejected product would logically start an urgent  hunt for a root cause)

(If the repeat  3x > OK  scenario happened to me 2- 3 times in close succession,  i would be adding a physical examination already / starting to worry about the MD settings)

added (2) -

@lee-Ann, I appreciate the FDA "support" for yr 7 mm but this is not an acceptable safety criterion for many other locations / some specific situations, not to mention "adulteration" aspects.

To reply to RG3's blank.  We let it go even though the metal detector initially rejected the product or __________. ....because our rejection system rejects more than one package at a time and we run the rejected packages through a properly working metal detector at least 3 times before the product is determined to be acceptable.  Our detectors are set to 1.5 mm non-ferrous, 2.5 mm ferrous and 4.5 mm stainless steel.  All sizes detected are well below the choking hazard size of 7 mm. 

You have to look at your process to determine what is right.  We would never let anything out of plant that we did not feel 100% confident about.  Due to our process metal detection is not a CCP but we do take it very seriously as well as the safety of our customers.