Inspection, weighing, packaging: rethinking equipment design

AFJ: Ishida developed an X-ray inspection system with a lead-free curtain. What is the impact of the RoHS directive having?

Oshima: The impact of the RoHS Directive (the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment) is being felt in EU but also in other regions such as the US, China, Korea, and Japan. In these countries, there is a growing consciousness about the environment, and regulations similar to the one by the EU are being are enacted in order to promote the use of non-hazardous substance use, for more eco-friendly products. To follow up this trend, Ishida decided to develop and supply eco-friendly products. The lead-free curtain for the IX series X-ray inspection system was one of our approaches. We also have products for retail stores. Furthermore, we have set up an internal Environment & Safety committee to further develop non-hazardous products. (See www.ishidajapan.com/company/environment.html)


AFJ: What is the most pressing food-safety issue today?
Oshima: Consumers and retailers are becoming more aware of food safety. Although many food manufacturers have done their best to supply safe and high-quality products, they sometimes receive complaints of foreign-object contamination. This causes the food manufacturer to lose credibility, as well as large amounts of money spent on recalls, notices and apology advertisements. Japanese supermarkets are becoming increasingly stringent, as evidenced by the fact that more than forty percent of food manufacturers in Japan are using x-ray inspection for pre-shipment inspection in their production lines. The same level of quality control is required for manufacturers in other Asian countries that export products to Japan or to the US and Europe.
So food manufacturers need to take up the challenge and provide safer products by pairing thoughtful quality-control method like HACCP with high-quality inspection systems. This will help them meet consumer demand for safe. Ishida offers a wide range of inline inspection systems, as well as the system that ensures traceability.

AFJ: Ishida recently opened an office in India. What are your thoughts about the region?
Oshima: Rapid economic growth in India has created a large middle class. This group is believed to total more than 200 million, and has strong purchasing power. Since 2000, there has been explosive growth in the areas of snack, confectionery, frozen-food, and ready-to-eat products. Consequently, the country’s food manufacturers have expanded their production capacities by investing in state-of-the-art equipment. Ishida India was established to provide better customer support, to develop long-term relationships.

AFJ: What developments did you see at Tokyo Pack and PackExpo?
Oshima: Inspection was a particular focus at Tokyo Pack. We also saw the growth of “high-mix, high-volume production”—something which other Asian countries are now demanding. This means that many food manufacturers require flexible and effective production system to meet changing consumer needs.
In the US, higher productivity was a focus. This is to minimize material losses with a single integrated weighing and packaging system. Ishida offered the integrated weigh-pack system ATLAS-ITPS at Pack Expo. It caught the eyes of many visitors. We consider that such an integration of production systems will become more and more popular in the future.

AFJ: Anything else to add?
Oshima: Perhaps a comment that is related to seafood producers. Glazing is a necessary process for seafood, to prevent it from drying and causing freezer burn. So seafood is normally weighed and packed when it is glazed. This makes accurate weighing and packaging are difficult for manufacturers, due to the product’s fragility and adhesiveness. Another problem is that the product weight on the package includes the weight of the glazing ice. To solve these issues, it is essential for that weighing and packaging be automated. Ishida has recently developed a fully-automated weigh-pack system for frozen shrimp. This system weighs shrimps without and provides an auto-glazing function between the weigher and the packaging machine.