Detectable stainless steel needles for meat packing

Abstract

Magnetic stainless steel needles are detectable in processed meat. The previous non magnetic versions, made of 304 stainless steel, aren't. Disposable hypodermic needles made from martensitic and ferritic stainless steel are easily detectable at the smallest size. Needles are conveniently made from 420 martensitic stainless steel or 430 ferritic stainless steel.

1. A system for detecting whether a hypodermic cannulae cannula or portions a portion thereof embedded is present within a meat, sample from an animal, said system comprising;: 
 a metal detector for detecting the presence of whether metal embedded is present in a the meat sample; and 
 a hypodermic cannula having a fluid passageway for injecting or drawing fluid and being comprised at least in part of a stainless steel selected from magnetic a magnetically responsive martensitic stainless steel, ferritic stainless steel, mixtures of ferritic stainless steel metals consisting of martensitic, ferritic, or and mixtures thereof, said metals of martensitic stainless steel, and said cannula having been prepared by a plurality of cold drawings drawing and in having a size gauge of between from 14 and to 20 gauge, wherein said cannula is more detectable by said metal detector when said cannula or a portion thereof is present in the meat sample than a cannula or a portion thereof of comparable size and made of standard austenitic stainless steel. 
 
     
     
       2. The system as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said martensitic stainless steel, consists of comprises 420 stainless steel. 
     
     
       3. The system as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said ferritic stainless steel, consists of comprises 430 stainless steel. 
     
     
       4. A hypodermic needle cannula or portion thereof having high detectability in a meat sample, comprising:
 a metal selected from magnetic stainless steel metals consisting of martensitic, ferritic, or mixtures thereof, said metals prepared, in a preparation step by a plurality of cold drawings and in a size gauge of between 14 and 20, whereby detectability of said needle cannula or portion thereof prepared according to said preparation step is greater than those prepared in the absence of said preparation step.   
     
     
       5. The hypodermic needle cannula as set forth in  claim 4 , wherein said stainless steel is selected from the group consisting of 430 and 420 stainless steel, or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       6. A method of detecting hypodermic needle cannulae or portions thereof embedded within a meat sample, comprising:
 providing a hypodermic needle cannula or portion thereof to as set forth in  claim 4 ;   providing a metal detector for detecting the presence of metal in a meat sample;   providing a meat sample for exposure to said metal detector;   exposing said sample to said detector; and   detecting the presence of said needle cannula or portion thereof.   
     
     
       7. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said stainless steel of said cannula comprises at least in part ferritic stainless steel and martensitic stainless steel.  
     
     
       8. The method as set forth in claim 15, wherein said stainless steel comprises at least in part a mixture of 430 stainless steel and 420 stainless steel.  
     
     
       9. A method for injecting an animal with a hypodermic cannula, said method comprising:
 providing a hypodermic needle cannula prepared by cold drawing and having a size ranging from 14 to 20 gauge, the needle cannula having a fluid passageway for injecting fluid into or drawing fluid from the animal and comprising at least in part a magnetically responsive stainless steel selected from martensitic stainless steel, ferritic stainless steel, mixtures of ferritic stainless steel, and mixtures of martensitic stainless steel wherein the cannula is more detectable by a metal detector when the cannula or a portion thereof is present in the meat sample than a cannula or a portion thereof of comparable size and made of standard austenitic stainless steel;   injecting the animal with the hypodermic needle cannula; and   subsequently detecting with a metal detector whether the hypodermic cannula or a portion thereof is present in a meat sample from the animal.    
     
     
       10. The method of claim 9, wherein said metal comprises martensitic stainless steel and ferritic stainless steel.  
     
     
       11. The method of claim 9, wherein said metal comprises ferritic stainless steel.  
     
     
       12. A method of detecting whether a hypodermic needle cannula or a portion thereof is present within a meat sample of an animal, said method comprising:
 providing a meat sample from an animal that has been injected with a hypodermic needle cannula, the needle cannula having a fluid passageway for injecting fluid into the animal or drawing fluid from the animal and comprising at least in part a magnetically responsive stainless steel selected from martensitic stainless steel, ferritic stainless steel, mixtures of ferritic stainless steel, and mixtures of martensitic stainless steel, the cannula being prepared by cold drawing and having a size from 14 to 20 gauge, and wherein the cannula or a portion thereof is more detectable by a metal detector when the cannula or a portion thereof is present in the meat sample than a cannula or a portion thereof of comparable size and made of standard austenitic stainless steel;   providing a metal detector for detecting the presence of metal in the meat sample;   exposing the meat sample to the metal detector; and   detecting with the metal detector whether the needle cannula or a portion thereof is present in the meat sample with the metal detector.    
     
     
       13. The method as set forth in claim 15, wherein said martensitic stainless steel comprises 420 stainless steel.  
     
     
       14. The method of claim 12, wherein said metal comprises martensitic stainless steel and ferritic stainless steel.  
     
     
       15. The method of claim 12, wherein said metal comprises ferritic stainless steel.