Detectamet’s Switch2Stitch Banishes Staples from Food Processing Areas

YORK, U.K. - July 8, 2014 - PRLog -- Rogue pieces of metal in finished products continue to be an issue in the food industry. Although detection equipment is now widely used and effective good manufacturing practices are applied the numbers of incidents getting through to the consumer is still too high. Recently there have been press stories of metal in food products as varied as minced beef, cereals, pizzas, candies and cheese snacks and several have involved costly product recalls.

In a report of metal frequently found in food, metal staples are fourth on the list. This is a solvable challenge. Specifications for ingredient packaging can prohibit the use of staples replaceable with alternative fastenings. The bigger challenge is the control of staples used in papers. These are significant enough to shock or even injure the consumer who discovers them as they eat. If they get into the food processing operations they  can be broken further and become a challenge to the detectors, yet they are still discoverable by the consumer.

The simple solution is to make the food processing areas into staple free zones. No stapled papers staplers or staples are allowed within these food processing areas. However, unstapled essential documents coming into or going out of these areas can be a challenge. Without any fastening the Instructions, records and traceability information could become loose and mislaid.

“Switch 2 Stitch is the answer “says Sean Smith the CEO at Detectamet “we have resolved the problems of loose sheets with our stapleless staplers.”   These simple machines from Detectamet mechanically cut and push a small tongue of paper through the sheets and into a slit so that the papers are securely stitched together. The result is no bits of metal and no loose pieces of paper.

Detectamet already offers a stapleless stapler made from detectable plastics that will fasten up to 4 sheets of 120gsm paper “They are very popular because many documents in use are no more than 3 pages.” Said Sean “Our customers know they work and now want to stitch documents with more sheets” The success of the Metal Detectable Stapleless Stapler has encouraged Detectamet to go the extra mile for its customers.

Sean explained “We have many customers who have ‘Switched 2 Stich’ and when they need to stitch more sheets we have now launched two new versions. These bigger stapleless staplers can secure up to 6 or up to 8 sheets.”

The new stapleless staplers are available in a choice of up to 6 colours so they are suitable for colour coded applications. “The new staplers are already opening new doors” Sean admitted “and stimulating requests for our sales staff to visit and demonstrate our range of products.” For more information contact s.smith at detectamet.com