Plant eating boom pushes pipeline inspection innovations

Catering to changing demographics, wellbeing trends, and new product developments (NPD) in plant-based alternatives, Fortress R&D in recent months has focused specifically on upgrading its pipeline systems to maintain the highest hygiene standards. Providing valuable reassurance to the British consumers who continue to ditch animal-derived foods.
One of the key challenges facing the ever growing and evolving plant-based food sector is how best to maintain productivity while providing consumers with safe, uncontaminated products.
Despite this descriptive labelling minefield, processing compliance in this growth sector demands the highest levels of sanitation. To avoid tarnishing plant-based brand reputations, Fortress TechnologyÂ’s latest metal detection and x-ray pipeline machines are designed to assist processors inspecting high-viscosity foods to optimise hygiene standards, tackle cross contamination and maintain a robust HACCP system.
Both machines are especially suitable for inspecting products like meatless sausages, broths, gravies, syrups, condiments, juices, fruit and vegetable concentrates, milk and cream alternatives, oils and even plant-based viscous pet food.
Food inspection pipelines in the past have been notoriously difficult to access and sanitise. To beat the spread of foodborne bugs and prevent bacteria accumulating in protein-alternative processing environments, both Pipeline systems are IP69K rated and USDA certified. This means they can withstand harsh processing environments and high-pressurised washdowns after every product changeover.
By upgrading the structure, Fortress has reduced the external surface area of its Pipeline Metal Detector by over 60%. Also, by routing the connectors through an encased unit, there are fewer areas where bacteria can hide and thrive during repeated washdowns.
The Metal Detector Pipeline has a slim design and compact footprint measuring approximately 1 metre for the largest 100mm diameter pipe, including reject. Its modular design allows this pipeline to be ceiling mounted or freestanding. Enabling plant-based factories to change configuration if needed, without significant investment.
To overcome product effect caused by the highly conductive nature and iron content present in some plant-alternative proteins, the Fortress Metal Detector Pipeline applies a powerful digital signal processing technology to clearly distinguish the signal generated by a metal contaminant from the product being inspected.
By inspecting pumped product and rejecting contaminants prior to packaging and processing, the potential for wasted packaging materials and product loss caused by the removal of contaminants after packaging is eradicated. It also ensures the reduction of expensive downtime and damage to downstream equipment.