Bell Food Group was established in 1869 and has become one of the leading processors of meat and convenience products in Europe and number one in Switzerland. Their product range includes meat, poultry, charcuterie, seafood and convenience products such as salads, sandwiches, ready meals, pasta and burger patties which are sold to some of the world’s most recognizable fast-food and retail brands.
Currently employing approximately 9,500 employees in eleven countries Bell work hard every day to prepare top-quality products that give much enjoyment of millions of consumers. Achieving this objective means working closely with suppliers and distribution partners in the retail and wholesale trade, foodservice sector and food processing industry.
Bell installed an X39 x-ray inspection system on their burger patty manufacturing line in Oensingen, Switzerland in 2017 following increased customer demands in terms of quality assurance. The requirement to ensure all of their burger patties are contaminant free and meet the stringent product integrity requirements prompted Bell to contact Mettler-Toledo Safeline X-ray to discuss how they could help achieve these company objectives.
Niki Berger, Quality Manager of Fresh Goods at Bell commented "I think x-ray inspection is currently the ultimate extra that we can offer our customers when it comes to detecting foreign bodies in our burger patties". The X39 is capable of detecting various contaminants including, calcified bone, metal and glass whilst simultaneously conducting product integrity checks such as inspecting for, length, width, height, edge defects and product flakes on top of the patties.
This case study highlights the importance of having x-ray inspection equipment integrated on the manufacturing lines at Bell Food Group.