To meet Japan’s stringent quality control expectations, French macaron manufacturer MAG’M found in Ishida the ideal partner. MAG’M is based in the Nantes region of France. The company soon grew in response to the growing appetite for their ‘made in France’ artisanal macarons, opening a larger factory in 2007.

MAG’M began to trade with Japan in 2021. However, the macaron manufacturer rapidly found itself confronted with Japanese quality standards, being stricter than those in Europe.

Benoît Szczepaniak, factory manager of MAG’M, explains: "We already had a metal detector and a checkweigher, but we needed to go further to meet Japanese standards. We quickly decided to invest in X-ray inspection equipment to strengthen our quality control procedures."

That is when MAG'M turned to Ishida. Laura Agoulon, Regional Sales Manager for Ishida, explains: "MAG'M wanted an inspection system that would meet the very strict requirements of the Japanese market.”

"We had several X-ray inspection systems available, so we quickly organised tests. We focused on certain contaminants with very fine detection levels to allow us to refine our approach and to offer settings that were 100% tailored to their products."

Following successful trials, MAG'M ordered its first IX-GN-4044 X-ray machine in February 2023.

The model is part of Ishida's IX-GN range, equipped with the manufacturer's patented genetic algorithm, which allows unique image analysis filters to be created for greater detection accuracy. The system also features variable-voltage tubes to detect very low-density contaminants, which are sometimes missed by traditional X-ray inspection systems.

Within 12 weeks, the system was in place. In 2024, MAG'M ordered a second, identical X-ray model. Both X-ray machines operate almost continuously, and no product leaves the factory without an X-ray inspection. Thanks to the new system, MAG'M can detect particles down to 0.4 mm in diameter.

Benoît Szczepaniak comments: "Our goal was to advance our detection levels to meet the demands of new markets and that's exactly what Ishida's X-ray systems helped us achieve.

"We particularly appreciated the fine-tuning of the systems, which allowed us to significantly increase our detection level. The system is intuitive for our operators, and the stainless steel construction is very easy to clean." Today, the presence of Ishida X-ray systems has become a real strength for MAG'M. These efforts earned them an award in 2024 for best practices from a supplier.

Benoît Szczepaniak concludes: "The installation of the two Ishida X-ray inspection systems has given us an enormous legitimacy in Japan and enabled us to unlock several economic opportunities. Thanks to Ishida, quality has become our calling card."