Foreign Body Contamination of Food - Scanning Electron Microscopy and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy as Tools for Identification

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) are powerful tools for the characterisation of foreign body (FB) or particulate contamination of food products. Whether the result of processing, packaging or interaction with consumers, once identified foreign body contamination needs to be characterised as rapidly and efficiently as possible in order to trace its source. An outline of the operation and capabilities of SEM/EDS is presented in order to highlight its application to FB identification. Three case studies are presented, one of FB contamination that was caused by agglomerated flour particles, one of a glass fragment reported by a consumer in a jar of baby food and one of a suspected dental implant in a food product.