FSMA & Metal Detectable Elastomers: Enhancing Safety

FSMA Increases Importance of Detectable Elastomers

Sanitary elastomers are an essential tool in food and pharmaceutical industries, but after some time, they can break down because of stringent demands of factors like temperature, environment, age, and improper installation.

In the past, companies didn't know there was a problem until an end-user discovered polymer particles in their food. When an elastomer breaks off into fragments in a product and isn't found immediately, losses include more than the price of wasted goods: containing, reinspecting, or disposing of the contaminated product can incur expensive costs and inflict lasting damage on a brand's reputation with product contamination and a product recall. Product and package integrity in processing is essential.

Food Safety Modernization Act

The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) drives processors to be more proactive. Facilities have many options for detecting and isolating a magnetic or metallic contaminant in a process system, but finding elastomers can be challenging.

Metal-detectable elastomers were created to detect elastomer particles in products using existing metal detectors. However, many of those elastomers still went undetected in high-density or packaged products. A metal-detectable and X-ray-inspectable material was needed to ensure that no elastomer contaminants went undetected in materials for any application.

The world's largest provider of elastomer products, Rubber Fab, is the only company to have found the right formula for this type of elastomer. They patented the design and named the product family Detectomer®.

Metal Detectable O Rings and Other Elastomers

“We've been working for many years to ensure we have the right combination for the right products,” said Gary Johnson, Regional Sales Manager. Gary has been with Rubber Fab for 13 years. He is passionate about the product safety and the quality of his elastomers, including gaskets, o-rings, cord stock, sheet rubber, and customizable Detectomers.

Certification

"Every time we make a shipment to CSI, we include all the certifications to assure the customer that we meet the necessary sanitary requirements," said Gary. Detectomers comply with the FSMA, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and meet 3-A Sanitary Standards.

"We make absolutely certain that our product will be the best you can get. We've been very fortunate in helping so many companies solve problems that they've had," said Gary.

Minimize Downtime

Metal-detectable and X-ray inspectable elastomers are essential tools for helping prevent unplanned downtime, minimize product loss, and preserve a positive brand reputation. Food and pharmaceutical industries are increasingly realizing the importance of being proactive about metal detection, and upgrading elastomers to improve detectability is a quick and simple way to do just that, as well as using x ray inspection systems.

Call a CSI representative at 417.831.1411 for more information on Detectomers and other elastomers.

One of the world's most established providers of sanitary elastomer products, Rubber Fab, has been in the food, dairy, beverage, and pharmaceutical processing supply business for 23 years. It is the only manufacturer authorized to make metal-detectable and x-ray-inspectable elastomers.