Food safety strengthened by Fortress acquisition – Stand B01

At PPMA Total Show 2019, stand B01, Fortress Technology will launch details about its latest venture with long-term partner Sparc Systems. Fortress recently acquired the specialist in counting, weighing and inspection machinery.

By formalising this partnership, both companies will focus on their collective food safety strengths, engineering innovative and customised inspection equipment. Existing and future customers will benefit from higher food quality assurance, reduced waste, greater supply chain transparency, and real-time food production and packaging traceability, claims Phil Brown, Fortress Technology’s European Managing Director.

In addition to an extensive portfolio of advanced food metal detection systems, Fortress can now offer customers fully integrated, high-quality checkweighing, label inspection, X-ray and check and detect combination systems. Several years ago both companies applied their engineering prowess to launch the world’s first Ferrous-only five-lane multi-aperture metal detector combined with a five-lane Sparc checkweigher.

This innovative concept was considered an engineering triumph. Yet it’s just one of many customer projects Fortress and Sparc have collaborated on since 2005. Phil highlights that he anticipates many more exciting innovations following their joint venture.

Catering to future processing trends, stringent Codes of Practice and food safety laws across European markets, the partnership between Sparc and Fortress will benefit food manufacturers, retailers and consumers alike. In addition to eradicating contamination, the team will focus on integrating visual technologies to increase traceability, systems to ensure compliance with weighing laws and single control panels for operative ease-of-use and real-time production monitoring.

“There’s a natural synergy between Fortress and Sparc,” comments Phil. “We are both custom solutions providers. No matter the challenge, we’ll take it on collectively, bring together our R&D, creating innovative inspection systems that respond to market demands and new food safety procedures.” Both companies will keep their existing branding for the foreseeable future.

Additionally, Fortress will debut to the PPMA Total audience its latest metal detector breakthrough – the Interceptor DF. Designed to inspect high-value, low profile foods vertically and horizontally concurrently, performance-wise, nothing else comes close to the Interceptor DF when looking for thin, non-spherical metal contaminants in products, claims Phil.

Visit PPMA Total Show 2019, stand B01 to find out more.