An apparatus for inspecting filled containers for foreign bodies that may be contained therein, where the filled container is mechanically excited by vibration or rotation so as to cause the possibly existing foreign bodies to rotate. The acoustic signals produced by the foreign bodies impacting on the inner wall of the container are detected and analyzed. Any signal detection is separated from mechanical excitation, and mechanical excitation is separated from container transport in that the signal-detecting sensor is applied to the container only after the end of the mechanical excitation. The mechanical excitation is executed by an excitation element that is brought into contact with the container independently of the holding elements used for the purpose of transport.