JBT buys X-ray food inspection company
The Novus x-ray technology arm will be absorbed by JBT’s Protein and Liquid Foods business area and will be boosted by a global sales network and an experienced technical team.
‘Attractive combination’
“Our customers want a contamination detection system that helps ensure food safety,” said Steve Smith, executive vice president and president of JBT FoodTech in a statement last week. “In conversations with industry leading food companies, Novus technology stood out as having an attractive combination of detection capability, ease of software use and reliability.”
In a statement, JBT explained that the Novus x-ray system offers significant advantages over other food safety detectors: x-rays can identify a wide range of metallic and non-metallic food contaminants; X-ray inspection systems can also easily identify stainless steel – the most common metal used in food processing equipment, and a material that is more difficult for traditional metal detectors to identify.
JBT is an American food processing machinery and airport equipment manufacturer. It reported pre-tax profits of over $30m (£20.9m) in 2014, employs around 4,200 staff and operates in 25 countries.
