New Thermo Fisher West Coast facility offers off-site product contamination, anomaly screening

The new PASS facility uses X-ray and metal detectors to provide rapid food, beverage, and pharmaceutical product evaluation. The facility can inspect products for processing anomalies (such as clumps), as well as broken or missing components (empty pharmaceutical blisters, partially-filled candy trays, etc.). The new facility is uniquely positioned to serve California’s Central Valley, a major North American fruit and vegetable production area. 

“We are here to help customers get accurate and reliable results so that they are able to make informed decisions affecting the safety of the public,” explained Darren Eaton, global manager, PASS, Thermo Fisher Scientific. “By locating this facility in close proximity to this high production area, we help reduce the turnaround time and expense associated with urgent product contamination inspection issues.”

In addition to off-site contamination/anomaly screening, trained technicians perform onsite services for local companies.

Thermo Fisher manufactures and sells state-of-the art metal detectors and X-ray equipment globally. Service technicians have access to advanced technology and understand ideal operating parameters. Additional equipment can be obtained to facilitate rapid evaluation of multiple truckload quantities.

PASS facilities handle a broad range of metal, glass, plastic or paper packaging types including both rigid and flexible structures such as steel cans, metalized film, plastic bottles, blister packs, folding cartons, multilayer materials, and more.

The new Northern California facility is the company’s third global PASS location. (The other two facilities are located in Barrington, IL and Rugby, Warwickshire, England.) Last year, the PASS facilities collectively evaluated more than 8 million packages.