How Advanced Inspection Technology Can Transform Food Safety: Perspectives from Kye Luker

Transcribed from the Eye on Food Safety with Dr. D Podcast

Food safety professionals know all too well the constant battle against foreign material contamination. But as the food industry has evolved, the challenges have become even more complex – and the stakes have never been higher.

In a recent podcast episode of eye on Food Safety with Dr. D. Dr. Darin Detwiler and Kye Luker of FlexXray, we uncovered the startling reality of the foreign material crisis facing the food industry.

Luker, the Chief Product Officer at FlexXray, shared eye-opening insights on how advanced inspection technology is helping companies mitigate devastating losses and protect their brands.

In an industry facing unprecedented challenges, the path forward lies in embracing a holistic, proactive approach to food safety

“Post-pandemic, foreign material issues have really been a hot-button topic,” he said. “2021 alone saw a 700 percent increase in foreign material issues from an FDA reporting standpoint.”

The sheer scale of the problem is staggering, with foreign material surpassing even E. coli as a leading cause of recalls for certain products. But as Luker shared, the real challenge lies in the size and nature of the contaminants.

“We can see up to 65,000 levels of grayscale with our detector technology. and with the ability to slow that imaging process down, we’re able to recreate the best contrast from an image production standpoint, where you can separate foreign objects from,  other indigenous materials.”

From broken sifter wires in nutraceutical gummies to minuscule gasket fragments in poultry, FlexXray’s medical-grade technology is uncovering threats that inline instruments simply can’t detect. And the implications go far beyond just the immediate costs of a recall.

“The absolute cost, though, is essentially double the cost plus of whatever it was that you made,” Luker said. “I say double the cost plus because it’s not free to throw something away. There’s a cost just associated with having a truck pick that up and go to a landfill in and of itself, more or less having to repurchase all the ingredients, all the packaging materials, reschedule all of the labor, and heaven forbid, this was going to grocer, retailer, and you paid premium for that store shelf,  that product placement, and now you’ve missed that and you’re going to get penalized from the retailer for missing that stocking.”

But the true cost extends beyond just the bottom line. As Luker shared, food safety is about so much more than compliance – it’s about being a responsible steward of the entire food system.

“I feel a strong passion for that all the way down to the animal level because anywhere  that we can avoid waste is an opportunity for us to continue to be better stewards of the supply chain in the food industry, top to bottom.”

From leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning to tightening control over equipment and parts, the conversation highlighted many opportunities for food safety professionals to enhance their detection capabilities and minimize losses.

In an industry facing unprecedented challenges, the path forward lies in embracing a holistic, proactive approach to food safety. By partnering with innovative inspection services and cultivating a culture of stewardship, food safety professionals can uncover hidden threats, protect their brands, and safeguard the integrity of the food supply.

This conversation, and all the previous episodes of Eye on Food Safety with Dr. D., are available for listening on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and video recordings of the live event can be viewed on demand with a Premium Subscription from GFSR.