Looking forward, the importance of antibacterial/antimicrobial technology has never been more apparent and it seems more than likely that an increasing number of antibacterial/antimicrobial, detectable products will become mandatory at various points of production assembly. In this current climate it is not possible for manual inspections to take place and so it may become standard that agencies such as the FDA will require manufacturers to have additional rules and inspection machinery in place to ensure safety and quality is upheld. It is already stated in BRC Issue 8 4.9.6.2 that “Pens used in open product areas shall be controlled to minimise risk of physical contamination (e.g designed without small parts and detectable by foreign body detection equipment)”. So it makes sense that this logic will be carried across different areas of production so that all elements which are detachable, subject to wear or damage, or could in any way cause foreign body contamination will be required to be detectable by inspection systems (e.g. metal detectors or x-ray scanners).
BST provide a range of strong, durable, detectable alternatives to the types of items which most commonly become foreign body contaminants. These three attributes are important to BST as if a product is strong and durable it is less likely to break or wear as quickly and therefore is less likely to become a
contaminant in the first place. If they’re also detectable and do happen to come into contact with foodstuffs, they can be identified and the contaminated batch removed before leaving production premises. With the option to incorporate antibacterial/antimicrobial technology into a range of our detectable, food safe plastic products, BST can assist in making your production process as safe as possible. What makes BST extra special though, is that if you have a detectable product need with seemingly no existing solution, we will work with you to come up with a solution to your problem and help you to make that solution a reality.
Implementing detectable, antibacterial/antimicrobial products into your production process is a smart way to show due diligence in the prevention of foreign body contamination and also shows forward thinking and preparedness looking to the future at potential upcoming legislation and food processing requirements.
By being prepared and as thorough as possible in this way, you are not only protecting the consumer’s health and safety but you are also protecting the trust they have in food manufacturers. Letting customers know that all measures have been taken to ensure their products are as safe as possible will be key for companies as we move through 2021.
