Plastic Overtakes Metal as Top Food Contaminant, FlexXray Finds
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Arlington, Texas – September 18, 2026 -- Plastic has overtaken metal as the most frequently reported contaminant in food manufacturing, cited by 37% of respondents in FlexXray's third annual Foreign Material Contamination in Food Benchmark Report.
Detection investment growth slows even as confidence in equipment stays flat
The share of food producers planning to increase detection investment fell to 57% in 2026 from roughly 70% in 2025, according to the report, based on survey responses from more than 170 food safety and manufacturing professionals across North America. Confidence that in-line equipment catches all foreign material has not improved despite prior years of investment growth.