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In the modern food industry, ensuring food safety is of paramount importance. In order to accurately detect foreign matter, prevent food contamination, and protect consumer health, more and more companies have introduced X-ray food inspection equipment. This equipment can efficiently identify foreign matter with obvious density differences such as metal, glass, plastic, and bone in food, so it is widely used in various food production lines. However, many consumers still have doubts about the term "X-ray", worrying whether this detection method will cause radiation contamination to food and affect health. So, will the use of X-ray food inspection equipment bring radiation risks to food? This article will take you to a deeper understanding of this topic from the perspectives of principles, usage, relevant regulations, and practical applications.

1. The basic principle of X-ray detection

X-rays are an electromagnetic wave with a shorter wavelength than visible light and strong penetrating power, which can be used to "see through" the internal structure of an object. In food inspection, the X-ray equipment will project a beam of rays onto the food passing through the conveyor belt. Materials of different densities absorb X-rays to different degrees, forming different grayscale images. The system will identify whether there are foreign matter through image analysis, thereby completing automatic screening.

This detection process is similar to the principle of taking X-rays in hospitals, but the radiation dose used is usually lower, the range is smaller, and the duration is extremely short.

2. Will X-ray detection leave residual radiation in food?

A core question that many people worry about is: After the food passes through the X-ray test, will it "carry" radiation and endanger human health? The answer is clear: no.

X-rays are a type of "ionizing radiation" that only "irradiates" when penetrating objects, not "injected" or "retained". This means that when the X-ray passes through the food, it does not leave any radioactive substances or "radiation residues" in the food. Unlike the radioactive substances produced by nuclear reactors, X-rays only exist at the moment when the equipment is turned on and the light source is irradiated, and they quickly dissipate after penetrating the object.

In short, after passing the X-ray test, the food is not radioactive and does not cause additional radiation risks to the human body.

3. What is the radiation dose of the X-ray detection equipment?

Understanding the radiation intensity of the equipment is the key to judging its safety. The radiation dose of the mainstream X-ray food detection equipment on the market is currently controlled at an extremely low level, usually far lower than the natural background radiation that the human body is exposed to in daily life.

According to data released by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA):

The average annual exposure to natural radiation per person is about 2.4 millisieverts (mSv);

A chest X-ray is about 0.1 mSv;

A transcontinental flight (such as flying from Beijing to New York) is about 0.03–0.05 mSv;

The radiation dose applied to a single food by an X-ray food inspection device during the scanning process is about 0.0005–0.005 mSv.

It can be seen that the radiation dose of X-ray food inspection equipment is only one thousandth of a chest X-ray or even lower, and the impact on food is minimal, not enough to affect human health.

4. What are the relevant domestic and international laws and regulations?

In order to ensure food safety and consumer health, countries around the world have formulated strict standards for the use of X-ray inspection equipment. For example:

China's "National Food Safety Standard GB 16798-2010 Food Machinery Safety and Hygiene" (updated to GB 31604 series) clearly stipulates the shielding design and leakage dose limit of radiation source equipment to ensure that the equipment will not cause radiation risks to operators or food under normal use.

The EU CE certification system has strict requirements for X-ray equipment, requiring that the dose of the equipment to operators shall not exceed 1 microsievert (µSv) per hour, and the irradiation dose to food must also be at a negligible safety level.

The US FDA stipulates that non-irradiation X-ray inspection is not considered "food irradiation" and does not need to be labeled as irradiation. This means that as long as the dose of the inspection equipment is controlled within a reasonable range, it can be used safely without additional labeling.

These standards all guarantee the safety of X-ray inspection equipment from a legal perspective.

5. What is the difference between X-ray food inspection and food irradiation?

It should be noted that X-ray food inspection and food irradiation are two completely different concepts.

X-ray detection: used to identify foreign matter, with short irradiation time and small dose, which will not change the nature of food and will not leave any radioactive residue;

Food irradiation: a way to sterilize and extend shelf life, usually using gamma rays, electron beams or high-energy X-rays to irradiate food, the time and dose are much greater than the X-rays used for detection, and it is necessary to obtain a license and affix a clear irradiation mark.

Although irradiated food has also been proven to be safe worldwide, it is still highly controversial in consumer perception. Therefore, companies should avoid confusing these two concepts when promoting to prevent misunderstandings.

Sixth, is the protective design of X-ray detection equipment safe?

Modern X-ray food detection equipment pays great attention to protection in design, and usually adopts multiple shielding structures:

Lead plate or high-density alloy shielding cabin: prevent radiation leakage;

Safety interlock mechanism: the equipment cannot be started if the door is not closed to prevent misoperation;

External radiation detection alarm system: real-time monitoring of whether there is abnormal radiation leakage outside the equipment;

Automatic shutdown and remote control function: to ensure the safety of operators.

These designs ensure that even if used on the production line for a long time, it will not cause radiation pollution to surrounding personnel and the environment.

X-ray food inspection equipment is an indispensable and important tool in modern food production. It helps companies detect potential foreign matter in a non-contact and non-destructive way, improving product quality and market competitiveness. Most importantly, the technology itself does not cause radiation contamination to food, nor does it pose a risk to human health.

From national regulations, industry standards, technical parameters to practical applications, we can draw a clear conclusion: the use of X-ray food inspection equipment is safe, reliable and conducive to food safety.

With the development of science and technology and the strengthening of public science popularization, it is believed that consumers will look at X-ray inspection technology more rationally in the future, and companies should also assume the responsibility of popularization, so that more people can understand the scientific logic behind it and jointly promote the healthy and transparent development of the food industry.

As a professional exporter of X-ray food inspection equipment, we are well aware of the market's strict requirements for food safety and understand consumers' concerns about "radiation" issues. The X-ray inspection equipment we export meets many international safety standards such as IEC, FDA, CE, etc., and has the advantages of low dose, high precision and no residue. It can not only effectively identify foreign matter such as metal, glass, and bone, but also ensure the absolute safety of the food being inspected. Through advanced protection design and intelligent control systems, we are committed to providing safe, reliable and efficient testing solutions to global food manufacturers to protect the health of every consumer's dining table.

http://www.vixdetect.net
Shanghai Vixdetect Inspection Equipment Co., Ltd.

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