Factors to Consider When Processing Canned Products

Could eco-tab technology be applied to a DRD food can? The opening would have to be much bigger to allow the solid portions of a food product to easily come out. Unfortunately, there is no way to conveniently open the food can without fully removing the top to allow for easy food removal. An eco-tab ring is traditionally used to pull open the lid on a score line that is cut along the circumference of the internal portion of the lid, leaving the double seamed portion of the lid on the can body.

The early years of this technology were wrought with problems. Consistent and even score lines were difficult to produce. A score line that was too deep could lead to early failure of the hermetic seal. A score line that was not deep enough or of uneven depth posed a problem for the consumer during the opening process, which led to hand injuries. Improvements in the precision of cutting the score line have eliminated most of those problems and also made the metal edges more rounded and less sharp after the EZO lid is removed.

Another improvement in metal can design is the “necked end,” which uses a smaller diameter top double seam compared to the base or bottom lid double seam of the container. This improvement allows easier can stacking in the marketplace because of the nesting that occurs with the base of the top container on the top of the lower container in the stack. This action makes the stack stronger and less likely to topple off the store shelf. Food producers also see less damage to these containers during distribution.

A Better Understanding of Canned Food

It’s important for food producers to maintain open communication with their suppliers or can manufacturers. There are many things to consider when processing a food product. Some metal cans and lids simply will not work with certain food products. The internal coatings on the can bodies and lids are important as well, and have recently garnered attention. Some food products are specifically processed in cans without any internal coatings for aesthetic reasons. Some food products are corrosive and the coating material needs to be strong and intact. Internal metal exposure can lead to product and metal chemical reactions that will lead to early container failure and possibly cause perforations in the container that can allow for product spoilage.

Let’s get back to those green beans for dinner. Green beans just happen to be a corrosive vegetable. Any food product grown in soil may have some variability in its corrosive properties because the soil itself has varying amounts of nitrates present that are then passed on to the food product. Thus a manufacturer needs to understand potential interactions between the food and the can.

The next innovation for the metal container might be around the bend. It’s true that improving consumer convenience might cause initial headaches for the industry, but it also prompts new discoveries and developments so the canning industry will continue to evolve.

Howell, director of the claims laboratory at the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), has 26 years of laboratory/industry experience at GMA. Reach him at [email protected].