Eriez has announced the publication of a new white paper, “Metal Detection Verification and Validation,” written by Metal Detection Product Manager Ray Spurgeon. This informative piece explores the importance of metal detection verification and validation as a means to ensure equipment is operating within food safety program requirements and includes a step-by-step guide to performing a verification process correctly.

The white paper begins by explaining that verification is the act or process of proving that the metal detector meets its sensitivity requirements. This is accomplished by challenging the detector in a repeatable manner with a certified metal sphere at a pre-determined time. Validation is the process of authenticating the metal detector, ensuring the equipment is meeting the verification requirements. The author outlines correct procedures for each process.

As described in “Metal Detection Verification and Validation,” understanding and properly performing verification and validation processes ensures a  metal detector complies with a company’s food safety program as well as other global regulations, including Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) and current regulated Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) requirements.

Spurgeon cautions that when crucial metal detector verification and validation steps are ignored or handled inaccurately, non-compliance can result and product impurities may go unnoticed. “Either of these scenarios can be detrimental for a company,” says Spurgeon.

The white paper includes a sidebar that offers a step-by-step look at verification to give readers a sense of how to perform a typical verification process. It includes screen shots from an Eriez Xtreme Metal Detector unit.

Eriez offers a full line of state-of-the-art metal detection equipment for food processing and packaging applications. Visit http://erieznews.com/nr523 to access product information, videos and download the new white paper, “Metal Detection Verification and Validation.”