Game-changing technology for fishbone detection

For fish factories around the world, customer complaints about bones are one of the most common causes of recalls and returned shipments – with massive food waste as a result. 

Still to this day, a significant number of consumers are reluctant to consume fish due to potential fish bones. Novel x-ray technology from the Danish company Innospexion is proving to be a highly effective solution. 

The technology bridges a gap in bone detecting capabilities. Fishbones below 0.3 mm in thickness are not a problem because they are too small to notice. But, as fish processing lines were previously unable to detect bones below 0.7 mm, that left a significant margin for consumer dissatisfaction. 

Innospexion’s specialised x-ray imaging tool has now broken through this barrier – making it possible to detect fish bones right down to 0.1 mm at a speed of up to 300 frames a second. 

Accurate and reliable bone detection for guaranteeing boneless fish products   

The system is designed for automatic bone detection in trimmed fillets from cod, haddock, red fish and other species. In addition, it can locate pin bones in salmon and small bone fragments in cut-offs used for fish blocks. 

Each time a bone is detected, a computer control system sends a signal to a machine which then removes the bones from fish meat.  

In this way, fish processors can ensure their products always deliver a high-quality eating experience and eliminate a wasteful problem.