Ohio-based Keystone Meats has slow cooked their all-natural lean meats in small batches and hand packed them for over 60 years. This fourth-generation family business recently installed a new X37 X-ray inspection system from Mettler-Toledo Product Inspection to help ensure the safety and quality of their canned meats, broths and soup bases.

“Metal is the primary foreign material concern in meat processing, since there's substantial cutting and grinding. Plus, our product is packed in cans, which could potentially introduce unintended metal to the production line,” said Pete Dorley, president of Keystone Meats and great-grandson of the founder. “While a metal detector could have worked earlier in our process, we wanted inspection at the very end of the packaging line to help ensure overall final product quality before distribution. Our sales rep, Pete Haggard of Action Services Equipment Company, helped us identify the X37 as the ideal solution for our application.”

Keystone installed their X37 x-ray system to inspect their entire range of canned products including beef, chicken, pork and turkey, which are packed in 14.5-ounce, 28-ounce and 50-ounce metal cans. Capable of processing up to 1,200 packages per minute, the X37 finds and removes a variety of foreign materials including metal, glass, bone and dense plastic. “Our x-ray is currently inspecting a few hundred cans a minute, giving us the flexibility to increase line speed later if needed,” said Dorley.

“The detection sensitivity of our X37 is truly remarkable. We haven’t had any contaminants in the ‘wild’ yet – which is fortunate, since that means our prevention protocols are working – but we test our x-ray system with extremely small test strips every day, and it never fails,” Dorley said. “Additionally, we have had virtually no false rejects, which is impressive considering how sensitive this technology is.”

Despite its high-performance capabilities, the X37 has proven exceptionally user-friendly for Keystone’s production team. The touchscreen interface makes training quick for new users. Product changeovers, which occur two to three times daily, take two minutes – operators select a new recipe on the control panel and adjust the rail size when needed.

The system's design also aligns with Keystone's sanitation protocols. “While sanitation requirements are minimal after the cans are sealed, we maintain extremely high standards throughout our facility," said Dorley. “The X37 only requires a simple wipe down and quick visual inspection at the end of each shift.”

“Although we have deep roots in tradition, we're always looking for ways to improve as more advanced technology becomes available,” said Dorley. “As a small, specialty meat packer, we're proud to demonstrate that family businesses can lead the way in food safety innovation and still stay true to our values. Our Mettler-Toledo X37 x-ray system helps us deliver the premium quality products that have set Keystone Meats apart for generations while helping us prepare for future growth.”

Source: Mettler Toledo Product Inspection