Detectable custom earplugs are made to fit your ears, and a metal detector or X-ray system can find them if one accidentally ends up in the production line. That way you combine hearing protection with food safety. Audibling makes the food and pharma version in a metal detectable and an X-ray visible variant, with a filter rated at 22 dB SNR.
In food and pharmaceutical production, two interests come together. Employees must be protected against noise, and nothing may end up in the product that does not belong there. In this article you will read why detectability matters, which filter suits production environments and how to have ear impressions taken for a whole team.
For teams of 10 or more people, we make a quote and take the ear impressions on site. Smaller teams go to a partner hearing centre. There, the ear impressions are included in the price, and that is also where you pay.
Why detectability matters
The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) is clear about this. As a food producer, you are responsible for the safety of the food you put on the market. You work with a food safety plan based on HACCP, in which you identify and control the risks in your process. Foreign materials are an important part of that. The NVWA mentions glass splinters, metal particles, small stones and plastic, among others.
To control such risks, the NVWA mentions a metal detector or sieve, for example, where there is a risk of metal particles. The NVWA also advises having staff wear clean, protective clothing, so that hair or pieces of clothing do not fall into the product.
An earplug is small and is worn for the whole shift, close to the product. If one falls out, you want it to be noticed before the product leaves the factory. That is what detectable custom earplugs are for. They are made to be found by the inspection systems used in production lines.
Agree what happens if an earplug goes missing
Detection is a safety net, not a substitute for clear agreements. Write down what employees do when they notice an earplug is missing, for example reporting it straight away to their supervisor or the quality department, so that your own procedure for foreign materials is started. Include this in the instructions employees receive when they are given their custom earplugs, and check at the start and end of each shift that both earplugs are still there.
The Dutch rules on noise at work also apply in production
Production areas can be very noisy, with machines, pumps, conveyor belts and packaging lines. The rules of the Dutch Working Conditions Decree (Arbobesluit) then apply to employees.
- Above 80 dB(A), the employer provides suitable, properly fitted hearing protectors.
- From 85 dB(A), employees must wear them.
- With hearing protection, exposure may never exceed the exposure limit value of 87 dB(A).
The full story, including the risk inventory and evaluation (RI&E), hearing tests and responsibilities, is in what Dutch law says about hearing protection at work.
Metal detectable or X-ray visible?
The earplugs for food and pharma are available in two versions. Which one suits you best depends on the inspection in your line.
| Version | Detected by | Makes sense if |
|---|---|---|
| Metal detectable | Metal detectors | Your line checks products with metal detection. |
| X-ray visible | X-ray inspection | Your products are checked with X-ray systems. |
So check with your quality or food safety department which detection systems you have, and test the chosen version in your own line with your own settings. That way you know for sure that it works in practice.
DI is the right filter for production
Audibling works with interchangeable membrane filters from Dynamic Ear Company. For production, logistics, food and pharma, we recommend the DI series. According to the manufacturer, it is made for industry and production, with extra protection against high frequencies. The DI filters have an SNR of 22 to 26 dB. The food and pharma version has an SNR of 22 dB.
More attenuation is not always better. Employees need to keep hearing colleagues, alarms and warning signals. When noise is assessed, the Working Conditions Decree also explicitly asks for attention to the interaction between noise and warning signals. So choose enough attenuation, but no more than you need. The filters are interchangeable, so you can still adjust later. All values are on our filter page and in how the DR, DM, DI and DIM filters work. What SNR means is explained in the glossary.
Material, colour and easy recognition
The earplugs for food and pharma come in hard acrylic and silicone. Acrylic is sturdy and easy to clean. Silicone is soft and flexible and gives extra wearing comfort. Read more about the choice in hard acrylic or silicone, which should you choose?
You choose from clear, black, white, green, red, blue or a custom colour. Choose a colour that stands out in your production environment, so that a loose earplug is spotted sooner. The earplugs come with a cord, clip and storage case. With a cord, an earplug stays closer to the wearer if it falls out of the ear.
Want them to be even easier to recognise? With our patent-pending logo print, available from 10 pairs, and your company colour, earplugs can be recognised per employee and per company. Ask us about combining this with the detectable versions. Read more on our page about custom earplugs with your logo.
How to arrange it for your team
- Map the noise. Use the noise measurements from your RI&E to determine the attenuation needed for each department.
- Check with quality and food safety. Which detection systems are used, and which version suits them?
- Calculate an estimate. In the calculator on our business page, you choose the package, filter and material. Custom earplugs for businesses start at €148 per person, excl. VAT.
- Plan a fitting day. For 10 or more people, our specialists take the ear impressions on site, following strict hygiene guidelines. Smaller teams and individual employees can go to a partner hearing centre.
- Production in our own lab. Every custom earplug is made in our lab in the Netherlands, Audiform in Kilder. They are ready about three weeks after the ear impressions are taken, recognisable for each employee and with a storage case.
- Keep checking. Have the fit checked regularly with a fit check, preferably every year. Read how long custom earplugs last.
Our custom earplugs are PPE-3 hearing protection, compliant with EN 352. See the full range in the hearing protection for work collection. Do you also work in construction or logistics? There too, DI is often the right choice, for example in the earplugs for construction.
Frequently asked questions
Are detectable earplugs mandatory in the food industry?
The NVWA's general information on foreign materials contains no specific requirement for earplugs. As a producer, you do have to control the risks in your process with a HACCP plan. How you do that is up to you, also based on the requirements of your food safety certification. Detectable custom earplugs are one way to limit the risk of a lost earplug.
Do detectable custom earplugs protect just as well?
Yes. The earplugs for food and pharma have an SNR of 22 dB and, like our other custom earplugs, are PPE-3 hearing protection, compliant with EN 352. The protection depends mainly on a good fit, and with custom-made earplugs that is the starting point.
Which filter suits food and pharma?
For production environments, we recommend the DI series, with extra protection against high frequencies. The filter is interchangeable, so you can adjust the attenuation if the situation changes.
What do detectable custom earplugs cost?
For individuals, the earplugs for food and pharma cost from €184.90 incl. VAT, see custom earplug prices. For businesses, we put together a quote for your situation. Custom earplugs for businesses start at €148 per person, excl. VAT. How reimbursement works is explained in are custom earplugs reimbursed?
Sources
- NVWA, Hoe kan ik als producent voorkomen dat er productvreemde materialen in levensmiddelen terechtkomen? (how producers can prevent foreign materials in food, in Dutch) (accessed 4 October 2026)
- Arbeidsomstandighedenbesluit (Working Conditions Decree), chapter 6, section 3, via wetten.overheid.nl (in Dutch)
- Arboportaal, Wat zegt de wet over lawaai op het werk? (what the law says about noise at work, in Dutch)
- Dynamic Ear Company, acoustic filters for custom moulds
- Arbocatalogus Grafimedia, Toepassen van gehoorbescherming (using hearing protection, in Dutch)
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Choose your colour and filter online. The ear impressions are included in the price and you pay at the hearing centre.