Azuma Foods, an international supplier of quality frozen seafood, has expanded its commitment to product safety by installing Ishida X-ray Inspection Systems that detect and reject packages containing harmful contaminants.
With the ability to safely identify shell, bone and stone fragments that naturally occur in their products, in addition to foreign materials such as metal and glass, the Ishida X-ray equipment is preventing distribution of contaminated products to retailers.
According to Takashi Miyamoto, Factory Manager at the Azuma Foods (Canada) Inc. processing plant in Richmond, British Columbia, "More and more international customers are urging or requiring use of such a system in food processing establishments. We investigated X-ray technology and are now using it to help produce an even safer product."
Azuma's facility in Japan was already using Ishida X-ray equipment. To confirm this preference for their Canada plant, the company conducted comparisons with systems from two other manufacturers. After a field trial in production conditions, Azuma chose Ishida.
"The compact size of Ishida's unit, its ability to consistently detect very small pieces of foreign material, and the customer service from Heat and Control were the main points in our decision," explains Miyamoto.
X-ray inspection as part of a quality control program can reduce operating costs and prevent contamination problems before they become a costly liability.