Advantages and Disadvantages of Metal Food Cans

With the advent of various new materials that offer different benefits for food packaging and processing, the demand for metal food canisters has also increased over time. Due to its numerous advantages over other types of packaging, metallic canisters are fast gaining popularity as they offer a number of advantages over the use of other materials. To better understand the advantages of using metal food canisters, it is important to have a better understanding of the industry of which they belong. This article will provide insight on the advantages of metal food canisters and what customers are looking for.

The demand for metal food cans are based on their distinct characteristic such as light weight, durability and superior packaging solutions. On the basis of various material type, the international metal food can manufacturing industry can be segregated into tinplate, steel and aluminum canning, where aluminum is believed to benefit a large market share due to its high resilience and lightweight. Steel, on the other hand, is primarily used for food packaging solution with its rigid structure that requires high-end machine tools to produce its top quality product. This requirement has made steel a distant third in the can manufacturing hierarchy following tinplate and aluminum, though it is still found to be the second best packaging material. Steel can, however, offer the industry considerable cost savings because it enables companies to reduce production cost through its use of advanced machinery and better materials and manufacturing techniques.

Despite the differences in the characteristics of the three, all can packaging solutions can be grouped into two major categories depending on the materials used to make them and their respective uses. Can manufacturers are able to differentiate between the various materials with the help of various price, weight, density and colour identification tags. The main three materials in this case are stainless steel, aluminum, and tinplate. Steel can offer the industry a long-term solution due to its durability and low environmental impact. However, this type of packaging solution can only be used as a recyclable material whereas the two other options offer a more environmentally friendly option.

Recycled steel food containers, on the other hand, can be used as new containers where they can offer a highly efficient way of using valuable raw materials while also offering an Eco-friendly option. Unlike metal food cans, food linings made from recycled steel to meet the same nutritional requirements as those in can linings made from new manufactured metal. The only difference is that these linings are available at a much lower price since they are made from recycled products. Moreover, recycling programs have significantly reduced the amount of waste being accumulated each year.

Plastic coated cans offer the best packaging solution for both long and short-term applications. They can resist high temperatures and chemicals, especially those found in the cooking process. Moreover, they are FDA approved and do not contain any toxic substances or carcinogens. This makes them highly suitable for use in all sorts of food service. With a clear indication of their benefits, it would be hard to believe that these plastic coated cans and barrels have a downside.

While they may look attractive, steel and plastic coated cans are more often used in closed systems, which make them less resistant to pests and also degrade their quality over time. The only disadvantages associated with these types of metal food cans and barrels are that they are heavier and bulkier than can linings and are thus more expensive than the other options. Moreover, they cannot be reused easily. Thus, they make good recyclable steel and plastic coated options.