High-Tc SQUID metal detection system for food and pharmaceutical contaminants

There is a possibility that individuals ingest contaminants that have been accidentally mixed with food because processed foods have become very common. Therefore a detection method of small contaminants in food and pharmaceuticals is required. High-T-c SQUID detection systems for metallic contaminants in foods and drugs have been developed for safety purposes. We developed two systems; one large system is for meat blocks and the other small system is for powdered drugs or packaged foods. Both systems consist of SQUID magnetometers, a permanent magnet for magnetization and a belt conveyor. All samples were magnetized before measurements and detected by high T-c SQUIDs. As a result, we successfully detected small syringe needles with a length of 2 mm in a meat block and a stainless steel ball as small as 0.3 mm in diameter.