The proof of the pudding

06 April 2023

Find out how metal detectors are helping a black pudding producer ensure that its products always meet the highest quality and safety standards.

The Bury Black Pudding Company is a British Retail Consortium (BRC) ‘A Star’ certified manufacturer, which sells to major supermarkets, speciality retailers and restaurants – providing full traceability of all ingredients.

To ensure that it is compliant with the latest global food safety standards, while protecting consumers and its own brand reputation, the company has employed several metal detection systems.

On one line, a Safeline HDS Pipeline system from Mettler Toledo inspects clipped black and white pudding products prior to filling. On another, a bespoke Profile Advantage conveyorised metal detection system – also from Mettler Toledo – inspects challenging packaged applications such as large pudding rings and frozen slices.

“As the UK’s market leading producer of black puddings in clipped sleeve and traditional, natural skin formats, we are very keen to ensure the product we send out is of the highest possible quality,” said Matthew McDermid, Marketing Manager at The Bury Black Pudding Company. “The metal detectors help us protect our brand, increase our productivity, and maintain high quality standards, which are essential for keeping our BRC ‘A Star’ standard.”

The HDS metal detection system is integrated with a Handtmann vacuum filling machine on the production line, and it delivers high levels of detection sensitivity, stability, and ease of use. Washdown conditions during product changeovers on this line can be harsh, so it was important that the metal detector solution was sealed for ingress protection to IP69K standard.

Combatting product effect

A second production line, for producing pudding rings and frozen slices, presents different challenges. Here, the issue is ‘product effect’ – a phenomenon in which the characteristics of products that are wet, hot, chilled, cooling or packed in metallised film can interfere with a metal detector’s performance.

The Profile Advantage metal detector on this line is equipped with Multi-Simultaneous Frequency and Product Signal Suppression technology, which enables it to overcome product effect. It also features a large pusher style reject device, lockable reject bin and customised tunnel guards which, combined with a number of failsafe confirmation sensors, visual indicators and audible alarms, ensures that The Bury Black Pudding Company meets the code of practice requirements demanded by its retail customers.

“We are really impressed with the Profile Advantage system,” said Richard Morris, Production Director at The Bury Black Pudding Company. “It just works – Product changeovers are quick and simple. It’s very reliable and easy to use.”

The metal detectors have successfully supported the company’s aim of minimising production costs, and virtually eliminating false rejects. The systems also help to reduce unnecessary waste and the costs of investigating potential sources of contamination.