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SCOPE: To ensure appropriate risk assessments, preventative measures and controls

are in place to prevent foreign body contaminants. Specific control over metal is
required and a suitable complaint investigation and trend monitoring system must be in
place.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this procedure is to ensure best practice of metal detector
and that machine and process are operating within tolerance as described in the HACCP
plan.

RESPONSIBILITY:
It is the responsibility of the QA manager to ensure the metal detector check is carried
out and that there are trained staff available to carry out the check.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Metal Detector must be operated within the guidelines as set down in the
operator’s manual. Only Trained staff can carry out this procedure.
2. The metal detector must be verified at the start and finish of each production
run before the product can be released.
3. Metal Detection System
a. All conveyor based metal detection systems should include:
- An efficient automatic rejection system.
- Locked box to receive rejected product.
- Full enclosure between the search head and rejection bin.
- Reject confirmation system to confirm that metal contaminated
products have successfully entered the reject bin.
- Photocell to detect each pack passing through the system (to
facilitate the correct timing of the reject mechanism irrespective
of the position of metal within the pack).
- Fail-safe systems to automatically stop the product conveyor
(and in some cases relevant downstream and upstream
conveyors) should be fitted to cover the following:
 Detection head fault.
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 Reject failure.
 Reject mechanism activation failure (where used on some
retracting belt rejection systems).
 Rejected product collection box full.
 Air pressure failure to the rejection mechanism.

b. Where more than one product normally passes in-line across the width of
the conveyor, a ‘retracting belt’ rejection mechanism should be used.
c. The metal detection system should be located after, or as close as
possible to the finished packing point and in line with the main
production flow. Systems should be unaffected when sited in any areas
subject to water or steam.
d. Pipeline metal detection systems should have audible and visual
indication of rejection. Reject must be to a suitable secure container.

4. Sensitivity
a. To achieve optimum sensitivity, the search head should be of a size
appropriate for the specific food product. Best attainable sensitivities
should be established and set for each product. This should be carried
out by trained factory technical personnel and/or the detection system
manufacturer. Achievable sensitivities will relate to product size, type
and packaging.
b. If detection systems are moved within the factory or new products
introduced, the equipment performance and operation should be re-
verified.
c. Records of sensitivity set up trials and results for each product should be
retained for review during hygiene and technical audits.
d. The sensitivity of the detection system should be maximised. However
this should not result in instability where the effects of
product/environment cause false rejections.
e. Sensitivity adjustment controls should not be accessible to factory staff.
These should be locked and access only possible by nominated and
trained staff.
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The following DRY PRODUCT WET PRODUCT and

sensitivities METALLISED FILM
should be Fer Non Fer St. Steel
achievable Fer Non Fer St. Steel 316
316
with metal
detection
equipment:
APERTURE
HEIGHT
Up to 50mm 0.8mm 1.0mm 1.2mm 1.5mm 2.0mm 2.5mm

Up to 125mm 1.0mm 1.2mm 1.5mm 2.0mm 2.5mm 3.5mm

Up to 200mm 1.2mm 1.5mm 2.0mm 2.5mm 3.0mm 4.0mm

This is particularly relevant for food products in metallic based packaging

where metal detection of the finished packed product is either limited or not
possible ie:
 Aluminium foil trays
 Aluminium retort pouches
 Cans
 Glass containers with metal lids
 Ceramic containers (terracotta ceramics contain iron)

f. It may also be appropriate to install suitable X-ray detection equipment

'in-process' for the removal of ‘dense’ foreign bodies such as metal, glass,
bone, mineral stone.

5. Testing Procedure
a. It is management responsibility that Metal detector testing procedure is
communicated to all staff responsible
b. Testing frequencies must be:
 At the start of each shift.
 Between each product change.
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 At the end of each shift or production run.

 The frequency of testing during production runs should not be
greater than hourly intervals.
c. The frequency of testing must allow for the identification, recall and
retesting of all products which have passed through a failed detector
since the last successful test.
d. The products must not leave site.
e. The following automatic ‘belt stop’ fail-safe systems must be checked at
the start of every shift to ensure they are functioning correctly:
 Reject product confirmation system.
 Reject activation confirmation system (where used with some
retracting belt rejection systems).
 Reject product collection bin full indicator.
f. Ferrous, non-ferrous and stainless steel test packs must be used for
testing conventional metal detection systems.
g. Test packs should be made up from products that have been successfully
metal detected and should be clearly marked and labelled so that they
cannot be inadvertently packed. The test pieces should be individually
certified and numbered by the manufacturer.
h. Each test piece (ferrous, non-ferrous and stainless) should be placed
within or attached securely onto the product to ensure that during
testing, the test pieces pass as close as possible to the centre of the
detection head aperture.
st
1 pack – test piece placed at leading edge.
nd
2 pack – test piece placed in centre.
rd
3 pack – test piece placed at trailing edge.
i. Place all three test packs (ferrous, non-ferrous and stainless steel) onto
the line one after the other. The spacing between the packs should be
the normal distance between products which travel down the line.
j. All three test packs have to be detected and rejected for the test to have
been successful. No additional tests are required.
k. Conventional side ‘pusher arm’ or ‘air blast’ systems with standard reject
confirmation systems must be tested at the start of every shift.
l. Pass a test pack down the line while temporarily interrupting the
electrical supply to the reject device solenoid (eg by using a key switch
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held by an authorised person) and observe that the reject mechanism

does not operate and that the conveyor belt then stops.
m. Reject product collection box full indicator should be checked by breaking
the beam for the required length of time and observing that the belt
stops.
n. The results of the tests must be recorded.
o. If any parts of the system fail during these tests, the fault should be
rectified before production commences and this must be recorded.

6. Rejected Product
a. Any product which has been rejected by a metal detector should be
disposed of after re-testing, regardless of whether it is rejected again.
This does not include product rejected during normal test procedures. If
products rejected during testing routines are in a sound condition they
may be placed in the product flow and re-detected.
b. All metal detector rejects must be investigated to determine if metal is
present.
c. Any confirmed metal finds should be fully investigated to identify the
origin and generate appropriate corrective action. The investigation and
corrective action must be fully documented.
d. The reject products should be passed through the detector in the
orientation they originally passed through the metal detector search
head and if not rejected they should then be passed through the search
head a further two times at different orientations.
e. If at any stage in this test, products are again rejected, the contaminant
should be found. Once found, the contaminant should be identified and
any necessary action should be taken to prevent recurrence of the
contamination.
f. Production must be stopped in the following circumstances:
 If more than one metal contaminant is detected on any one
production line within any 24 hour period.
 If more than one metal contaminant of the same type is detected in
the factory within any 24 hour period.

g. The Senior Management must ensure the identification and elimination

of the cause of multiple rejects.
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h. A decision must be made regarding the release or otherwise of stock

placed ‘on hold’.
i. Reject product collection box/reject release keys must be held by
nominated staff only.
j. Where metal contamination incidents occur eg. metal detector rejects or
customer complaints, engineers should be involved in thorough
investigations. Investigations should be documented and where
appropriate should lead to corrective action. The aim of investigations
and corrective action should be to prevent future recurrence.

7. Maintenance of Metal Detection Equipment

a. All metal detection/rejection systems must be audited / checked to
ensure they are operating efficiently on a regular basis as part of a
planned preventive maintenance system.
b. This should be carried out by a recognised metal detector equipment
manufacturer or their appointed agent/representative.
c. A full test of all systems should be carried out following any repairs,
maintenance or adjustments.
d. A documented planned maintenance programme should be in place with
the aim of limiting wear and tear on equipment which might otherwise
result in metal contamination. The planned maintenance system should
be based on all relevant parameters including:
 Plant history
 Manufacturers recommendations
 Lubrication requirements
 Risk assessment of critical locations where metal
contamination might occur or areas vulnerable to wear and
tear e.g. bearings, bowl choppers, mixing vessels.
e. The planned maintenance system should include arrangements for
ensuring that jobs are raised and completed on time, and highlighted if
they are not carried out for whatever reason.
f. The planned maintenance system should include frequent checks on
critical machinery components such as slicer and mincer blades. These
checks should be documented together with a record of any necessary
corrective action taken.
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g. Engineers should be trained both in food safety and hygiene procedures

commensurate with their work.
h. Engineering work must take place outside production areas and
preferably in the engineering workshop. Welding, drilling, riveting and
soldering should never take place on plant being used for production or
any plant immediately adjacent unless suitable hygienic screening is in
place.
i. Engineers carrying out repairs on production lines must be provided with
an enclosed metal or plastic box for tools, nuts, bolts and screws etc.
Magnetic trays or other clearly marked containers must be used to
contain fixings etc removed or replaced during engineering work.
j. Missing fixings on equipment must be accounted for and /or replaced.
k. Engineer’s tool boxes must be kept clean internally and free from
unnecessary extraneous matter which could be hazardous to production.
l. Cleaning procedures must be followed after maintenance/repair
operations.

8. Training
All relevant staff should be adequately trained in the principles of metal
detection and should have a thorough knowledge of the equipment and testing
routines.

9. Documentation and Record Keeping

The following documentation and records must be kept:
 Commissioning and sensitivity tests/records for new equipment and
following the movement of equipment.
 Results of all tests showing time, result, sensitivity, Marks and Spencer
product and any necessary corrective action taken.
 Number of rejected packs each shift.
 Number and details of detected contaminants.
 Action taken to trace the source of contaminants.
 Planned preventive maintenance programme and service work.
 Personnel training.

MONITORING:
1. A designated employee will inspect that each employee is following this SOP.
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CORRECTIVE ACTION:
1. Any employee found not following the procedures in this SOP to be retrained.
2. Follow the corrective actions as per instructions above.

DOCUMENTATION RETENTION:
The records applied to this procedure are to be kept on file for a minimum of 3 years.

AMENDMENT RECORD SHEET

Amendment Record Sheet

Issue No Date Revised Issue Details Revised by