The National Confectioners Association (NCA) reported that confectionery sales exceeded $48 billion in 2023 and are projected to reach $61 billion by 2028.
Confectionery manufacturers must perform contaminant inspection to maintain a strong brand reputation in the industry and meet future growth demands.
Candy Bulk Ingredient Inspection
Candy makers can utilize metal detectors to inspect raw materials received in bulk, such as chocolate chips or chunks, nuts, seeds, and dried fruits.
Systems can be configured for a two- to four-foot wide conveyor belt moving unpackaged chocolate chunks stacked four to five inches high.
See how a conveyor belt inspection machine works to reduce contaminants in bulk ingredients.
Confectionary Pipeline Inspection
Metal detection systems are easily adapted to inspect low- and high-viscosity materials, such as milk, chocolate, and candy mixtures, at temperatures up to 203°F (95°C).
Easily integrated into existing pipeline systems, these in-line metal detectors locate metal and actuate a valve that ejects the contaminated material.
Removing the contaminated product saves money and resources by reducing rework and eliminating losses associated with forming and packing products that will be rejected downstream.
Interested in how pipeline inspection works on pre-formed materials? See the key product details now.
Final Product Inspection
Inspecting products after they’re wrapped or packaged is critical to revealing post-processing contamination.
Passing this “final check” validates your process safety and quality control measures and confirms that products leaving your facility are contaminant-free.
Looking for impurities in finished packages? A conveyor belt inspection machine might be a perfect choice.
Foil-Wrapped Products
From foil wrappers on bite-sized drops, buttons, or “kisses” to sealed packages and pouches for bars and specialty shapes, metalized packaging helps candy makers protect flavor, increase shelf-life, and enhance product appearance.
But as the name suggests, these attractive and protective packaging materials are made from metal materials that a metal detector can’t distinguish from metal contaminants.
X-ray inspection is ideal for inspecting foil-wrapped confections as its detection relies on changes in density rather than the disruption of electromagnetic fields. This also makes X-ray inspection suitable for identifying non-metallic contaminants such as plastic or glass.
Raw Ingredients
Raw materials for candy making often originate from farming environments susceptible to foreign material contamination. X-ray inspection of incoming materials isolates hazardous contaminants, such as metal, glass, ceramic, plastic, and stone, before they can enter the production process.
Removing contaminants at the raw ingredient stage increases product safety, mitigates equipment damage and subsequent downtime, and reduces costs related to downstream product rejection, including manufacturing time and wasted ingredients and packaging.
Bulk Ingredients
X-ray systems tailored for bulk ingredients allow manufacturers to inspect incoming ingredients like chocolate flakes, chips and chunks, dried fruits, seeds, or nuts for contaminants, including metal, rocks, pebbles, and glass.
Confirm Product Packaging
In addition to detecting and removing contaminants, X-ray inspection systems can provide quality and consistency assurance. X-ray systems can be “taught” to recognize abnormalities within a package that would confirm item count, reveal broken or damaged items, or detect underfilled or unfilled confections.
