"As far as I know, we are the only company to have launched IP69K-certified check weighers in the food production sector," said Mettler Toledo industrial marketing manager Niki Ward.
"This means that the scales are completely protected against water ingress - an important consideration when equipment needs to operate in a high-powered hose-down environment."
Weighing and measuring procedures represent critical control points all along the industrial food supply chain. They are required at the acquisition of raw materials and play a vital role in quality control. After all, an ingredient can only be used in the preparation of food if it is wholly compliant with food regulations.
The weighing and measuring of food is then carried out during the processing phase to determine characteristics such as moisture and ingredient balance. Goods then have to be weighed prior to packaging and shipping.
Mettler Toledo believes that the new BBA platform, with its hermetically sealed stainless steel load cell and specially designed understructure, can help improve efficiency and traceability within the production chain. Offering a weighing range from 3kg to 600kg, the scale has been manufactured according to the recognised EHEDG, HACCP and GMP requirements.
Ward says that the scales are can withstand incredible waterpower and remain unaffected. A knock-on effect of this is that less down-time is required to clean product lines, making operations quicker and more cost-efficient.
Traceability is another key concern among food manufacturers. Ward says that Mettler Toledo has taken this into account in designing its range of weighers. At every weigh point, data can be collected and bar coded labels read.
"We recently undertook some research and found that most manufacturers believe that they have sufficient tracking in place," said Ward. "However, some of these systems are manual, and it is still not clear exactly clear whether these will be acceptable."
Ward believes that while much of the pressure to install adequate traceability comes from the need to meet forthcoming traceability legislation, she believes that retail pressure is just as an important factor. Ward points out that in turn, supermarkets are under ever-closer scrutiny from both government and the public.
Traceability and safety concerns are therefore inextricably linked. To this end, Mettler Toledo has ensured that its new range of weighers can have metal detectors built in if required, to provide a further barrier of protection.