Which Metal Detectable Pen is right for your environment?
Choosing a metal detectable pen isn't simply a matter of picking a colour or writing style. Different food production environments can require different ink performance, temperature resistance, pen construction and durability.
Filaco Food Safety Solutions supplies a range of metal detectable and X-ray visible pens to food and beverage manufacturers across Africa, with options designed for general factory use, cold environments, frequent writing and facilities looking to reduce waste through refillable pens.
Use the guide below to compare our detectable pen options and identify the model best suited to your production environment.
Questions to ask to choose the correct pen.
Detectable Pen Options
P950
J850
J800
Trace-It
Eco
Which type of environment will the pen be used in.
The environment matters. Very cold, wet and damp work areas require a different pen than warmer factories.
The pressurised ink cartridge allows the P950 to write reliably in cold, wet and damp production environments, with an operating range of -20°C to +5°C. It is best kept within these colder working conditions rather than moved between different temperature zones.
The J850 uses gel ink and is a good choice for semi-cold or warmer production areas. Its gel ink also makes it suitable where a pen may regularly move between different working environments without leaking.
The J800 is a versatile general-purpose detectable pen suitable for production environments with temperatures ranging from approximately 5°C to 30°C.
The Trace-It refillable detectable pen is designed for general factory environments between approximately 5°C and 30°C.
The Eco detectable pen is suitable for everyday writing applications in food production environments operating between approximately 5°C and 30°C.
Do you produce Koshur certified goods at your facilities?
The P950 detectable pen is Kosher certified.
The J850 detectable pen is Kosher certified.
The J800 detectable pen is Kosher certified.
The Trace-It detectable pen is NOT Kosher certified.
The Eco detectable pen is Kosher certified.
Do you go through a lot of pens each month?
With a write-out length of up to 6,000 metres, the P950 offers excellent ink capacity. Its specialist cold-environment design does, however, make it a more premium option than our general-purpose detectable pens.
The J850's specialist gel ink provides excellent writing performance across different environments, but with a write-out length of up to 850 metres, it has the shortest writing capacity in the range.
The J800 combines good value with an impressive write-out length of up to 9,000 metres, making it a strong choice for facilities where detectable pens are used frequently.
The refillable Trace-It offers a write-out length of up to 9,000 metres and allows the pen body to be reused by replacing the ink refill, making it particularly suitable for high-use environments.
The Eco is the most budget-friendly option in the range, with a write-out length of up to 2,800 metres. It is a practical choice where cost per pen is an important consideration.
Is cross contamination of bacteria potentially a big problem in your working environment?
The P950 detectable pen is available with an antibacterial option for production environments where additional hygiene control is required.
The J850 detectable gel pen is not currently available with an antibacterial option.
The J800 detectable pen is available with an antibacterial option for hygiene-sensitive production environments.
The Trace-It refillable detectable pen is not currently available with an antibacterial option.
The Eco detectable pen is available with an antibacterial option.
Do you require refills? Most of our pens have metal detectable refills available.
The P950 have detectable refills available.
The J850 have detectable refills available.
The J800 have detectable refills available.
The Trace-It have detectable refills available.
The Eco detectable pen can NOT be refilled.
Other important information.
Quantity per box
25 x P950 Pens
25 x J850 Pens
25 x J800 Pens
50 x Trace It Pens
50 x Eco Pens
ISO 12757-2
P950 : Yes
J850 : Yes
J800 : Yes
Trace-It : Yes
Eco Pen : Yes
EX/1907/2006
P950 : Yes
J850 : Yes
J800 : Yes
Trace-It : Yes
Eco Pen : Yes
FDA Approved
P950 : Yes
J850 : Yes
J800 : Yes
Trace-It : Yes
Eco Pen : Yes
EU Compliant
P950 : Yes
J850 : Yes
J800 : Yes
Trace-It : Yes
Eco Pen : Yes
BRC9 Compliant
P950 : Yes
J850 : Yes
J800 : Yes
Trace-It : Yes
Eco Pen : Yes
Metal Detectable
P950 : Yes
J850 : Yes
J800 : Yes
Trace-It : Yes
Eco Pen : Yes
X-Ray Visible
P950 : Yes
J850 : Yes
J800 : Yes
Trace-It : Yes
Eco Pen : Yes
Shatter Resistant
P950 : Yes
J850 : Yes
J800 : Yes
Trace-It : Yes
Eco Pen : Yes
No Springs
P950 : Yes
J850 : Yes
J800 : Yes
Trace-It : Yes
Eco Pen : Yes
Lanyard Compatible
P950 : Yes
J850 : Yes
J800 : Yes
Trace-It : Yes
Eco Pen : Yes
Supplied to all African countries.
P950 : Yes
J850 : Yes
J800 : Yes
Trace-It : Yes
Eco Pen : Yes
Things to Consider When Choosing a Detectable Pen
General factory use
For everyday writing and production-floor paperwork, a reliable general-purpose detectable pen is usually the most practical choice.
Cold rooms and freezers
Standard inks may perform poorly at low temperatures. For chilled or frozen production environments, choose a pen specifically designed to continue writing under cold conditions.
Frequent writing
Where employees complete substantial amounts of paperwork, writing comfort and ink performance become more important. A gel-ink option may be preferable.
Reducing disposable plastic
Refillable detectable pens allow the outer detectable body to remain in use while only the ink refill is replaced.
Colour coding
Different ink and body colours can also form part of a facility's identification or colour-control procedures where appropriate.
Still not sure which pen you need?
Tell us about your production environment and how the pens will be used, and Filaco can help you select a suitable detectable pen for your application. Contact us today.