With food safety being a vital component of producing meat for consumers, processors must stay equipped with technology that meets standards and ensures quality. That’s why Massachusetts-based Bertolino Foods invested in Loma Systems’ IQ4 Flex Metal Detectors throughout its Peabody facility.
Bertolino serves foodservice, retail, and wholesale customers and possesses a growing product range that includes shaved steak, gourmet patties, turkey patties, and a new meatball line, which have been produced amid the companies 2020 rebrand and move to a larger processing facility. Thus, the meat supplier needed to continue maintain strict quality standards alongside its production increases.
“For us, scaling up wasn’t just about adding more equipment, it meant moving faster, managing more SKUs and having zero margin for error,” says Jim O’Toole, Director of Food Safety and Quality Assurance at Bertolino Foods. “Certain areas of our operation had to function flawlessly and metal detection was one of them.”
Greater inspection results in increased adherence to food safety
Bertolino has installed eight IQ4 Flex Metal Detectors in its palletizing areas with a ninth detector in progress, the company says. The assurance capabilities and footprint of the metal detectors have produced valuable results in the company’s operations, revolving around reliable performance without disruptions.
The metal detectors work by generating an electromagnetic field around a conveyor tunnel and detecting disturbances caused by metal contaminants in passing products. They use variable-frequency technology, automatically selecting the best frequency for each product to improve sensitivity and reduce false rejects. The system “learns” the normal product signal, then triggers a reject device (such as a pusher or air blast) when metal is detected. It’s built from hygienic stainless steel for food-industry use and integrates easily with production lines for automated quality control.
Since installing the IQ4’s, Bertolino has achieved more consistent food safety assurance across all its lines, gained enhanced detection capabilities, and has experienced zero production downtime due to machines automatically stopping when metal is detected. In addition, Bertolino says it has been able to keep customer complaints below key performance indicators relating to foreign objects, and the detectors’ compact footprint has resulted in seamless integration into the company’s existing workflows.
In addition to the technology capabilities, Bertolino found Loma’s support and training with the detectors’ installation satisfactory.
“The training was outstanding. Loma didn’t just show us how to run the machine,” states O’Toole. “They ensured we understood how metal detection really works. That extra level of education makes a significant difference.”
“The installation went smoothly. The team patiently explained everything, giving us a clear understanding of how to use it and why it works,” O’Toole adds.
With the new metal detectors, Bertolino says it’s well-positioned to maintain high food safety standards while expanding further.
