The world is currently experiencing a major political crisis from wars on 2 fronts; in the Persian Gulf and Ukraine, which significantly affect logistics and materials costs. Food manufacturers need to optimize their production; however, one major challenge is to counter the possibility of product contamination which will elevate their costs further.
AFBR has the opportunity to interview Mr Sven Rissel, General Manager at Wipotec Singapore Pte Ltd to gain further insights on current food product contaminations impacting Asian food manufacturers, and how Wipotec can come in to offer the best solutions to address or prevent these issues from happening at the production floor. The following are excerpts from the interview with him:
In your opinion what types of product contamination are the costliest and can be easily avoided?
Any types of contamination in a product can be extremely costly, as it directly erodes customer trust and damages brand reputation and image. Among these, physical contaminants are particularly significant yet often preventable. Common examples include natural impurities such as stones in products like rice, as well as foreign materials like glass, ceramics, stainless steel, or aluminum—especially in sensitive products such as milk powder. Even minor incidents can lead to complaints, recalls, and long-term reputational impact. Strengthening process controls and inspection capabilities is therefore essential to minimize risks and avoid unnecessary costs.
Please provide a few case studies of food contamination and how Asian companies specifically address these issues successfully ?
In the first case study, we had an international B2B supplier of individual quick freezing rice and grains. As usual, impurities in raw materials are an inherent challenge when working with natural products. To address this, our customer uses our X-ray inspection systems to detect and remove foreign bodies during production.
In the 2nd case study, we worked with a dairy franchise group producing milk powder in metallised pouches. They faced contamination risks from glass, stainless steel, and aluminium, mainly originating upstream. Conventional metal detection was insufficient due to metallised pouches packaging limitations, as such the customer decided to implement Wipotec X-ray system to improve detection reliability.
Our final case study involved a fresh chicken kebab supplier to Australian supermarkets. It faced challenges using metal detectors due to packaging components such as oxygen scavengers and aluminised film, which interfered with detection. The company decided to implement our X-ray system to ensure product safety under these conditions.
Briefly describe the equipments/solutions Wipotec offer to address and prevent contamination in food products ?
Wipotec X-ray inspection systems provide a reliable method for detecting a wide range of foreign bodies including metal, glass, stones, and dense materials, regardless of packaging type or product structure. This makes them suitable for applications where conventional detection methods are less effective.
In addition, its integrated solutions combining X-ray inspection with checkweighing and vision systems enable simultaneous control of product integrity, weight, and packaging quality within a single process. By applying these technologies, manufacturers can improve detection consistency while also strengthening overall quality control under complex production conditions.
What are the latest investments by Wipotec in Southeast Asia to build better services and communications with its clients in this region ?
Wipotec continues to strengthen its focus on Southeast Asia by investing in closer customer engagement, enhanced communication structures, and expanded local service availability across the region.
A key element of this development is the establishment of a cross-regional partner network supported by local representatives in Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Vietnam, alongside growing activities in Cambodia, Taiwan and South Korea. Our Singapore regional HQ serves as a coordination hub, helping to ensure responsive service support and spare parts availability across ASEAN.
To further improve customer proximity and application support, we also established 4 regional showrooms equipped with the latest inspection and weighing technologies. These centres provide hands-on demonstrations, training, and product testing under real production conditions.
Through these ongoing investments, we continue to strengthen local service capabilities, expand technical know-how transfer and build long-term partnerships with customers across the region.
In your own words, what is Wipotec’s main goal/objective in this region’s food and beverage industry and how can the industry benefits from its products/services ?
Wipotec aims to be a supportive technology partner within the regional food and beverage (F&B) industry, especially in this Asian region where production is growing and food safety standards are becoming more stringent. Rather than positioning ourselves simply as a machine supplier, we work closely with customers as a technology partner in quality control and automation, helping to reduce contamination risks through sustainable, long-term solutions.
Briefly the industry can benefit from our solutions as follows:
- Ensuring food safety and regulatory compliance
With standards such as HACCP, BRC, and IFS, manufacturers require reliable inspection systems. Our inspection systems include X-ray scanners, metal detectors, and checkweighers which help to identify contaminants and defects, preventing unsafe products from reaching consumers.
- Supporting industrial-scale production
F&B manufacturing in this region is scaling up operations. Our systems are designed to inspect large volumes efficiently while maintaining accuracy.
- Strengthening brand trust and competitiveness
By ensuring consistent product quality, whether in weight accuracy, no (zero) foreign objects, or correct labeling, Wipotec solutions help companies avoid recalls and protect their reputation, which is critical in competitive regional markets.
For more information, click on: Wipotec Singapore Pte Ltd
The above editorial
is contributed by
Sven Rissel,
General Manager at
Wipotec Singapore Pte Ltd
