Challenge: Guaranteeing food quality and safety in a high-production mussel line at a bottling plant
In the fishing sector, food safety and quality control are fundamental pillars for maintaining consumer confidence and complying with demanding European regulations.
A renowned seafood company in Spain, specializing in the processing and packaging of cooked and canned mussels, needed to automatically detect mollusks in poor condition or with internal anomalies before final packaging.
The challenge consisted of implementing an X-ray inspection system that offered maximum reliability and speed, without compromising the pace of a high-production line and with the possibility of customizing the rejection system to adapt to the client’s product format and workflow.
Solution: Implementation of a Varpe X-ray system with customized rejection
After a detailed study of the processing line, the VARPE technical team proposed the integration of an IRIX X-ray inspection unit, designed for the internal analysis of food products.
This system allows the detection of:
- Mussels in poor condition (empty, damaged, or with abnormal texture).
- Shell fragments or foreign metallic, vitreous, or calcareous bodies.
- Irregularities in product density.
During the implementation process, various automatic rejection configuration tests were carried out, evaluating different systems—such as ejection by lower and upper paddles or swivel diverters—until defining the most efficient and precise solution for the client’s continuous flow of mussels.
Finally, a system ? was chosen, specially developed by Varpe to maintain the high production rate without damaging the product or affecting the line’s cadence.
Results: Precise inspection, maximum productivity, and waste reduction
The implementation of the Varpe X-ray system generated a substantial improvement in the efficiency and safety of the production process, with measurable results:
- Automatic detection of defective mussels or those with anomalies.
- Reduction of line stops, thanks to selective and precise rejection.
- Increase in the plant’s overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) due to the optimization of the continuous flow.
- Decrease in product waste and improvement of traceability.
- Full compliance with European food safety regulations.
In addition, the VIT4 data management software provides real-time statistical reports, allowing the client to perform advanced process control and early detection of deviations.
Conclusion: Innovation and customization at the service of the fishing sector
Thanks to Varpe’s X-ray technology and a fully customized integration project, the client was able to increase the reliability of its quality control, guarantee the food safety of the final product, and optimize its high-production line.
This case reflects the commitment to innovation, precision, and adaptability, providing tailored technological solutions for the most demanding challenges in the fishing and seafood sector.
✅ Do you want to improve the inspection and safety of your seafood products? Discover how VARPE’s X-ray equipment can transform your production line.
