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E U R O P E A N P A C K A G I N G S T E E L N E W S L E T T E R

GREEN LIGHT FOR THE USE OF

METAL CONTAINERS IN MICROWAVES

Food

RESEARCHERS GIVE GREEN LIGHT FOR THE USE OF METAL CONTAINERS IN MICROWAVES . . . . . . . . . . . .page 2

Beverage

PUMP UPTHE KEGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .page 6

Innovation

PRODUCT INNOVATION AT BALL PACKAGING EUROPE’STECHNICAL CENTRE, BONN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .page 8

Interview

SHAPING: KEY TO REPOSITIONING THE IMAGEOF THE CAN . . . . . . . . . . . .page 10

Steel Packaging Gallery

INSPIRING STEEL PACKAGING SOLUTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . .page 12

Trends

THREE-PIECE STEEL CAN MAKES ITS MARK IN THE EMERGING MARKETS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .page 14

Food

NUTRITIONAL VALUE, SAFETY & PROTECTION . . . . . . . . . . . . .page 16

Event

3RD INTERNATIONAL STEEL PACKAGING EFFECTIVENESS AWARD 2008 . . . . . . . . . . .page 22

5TH INTERNATIONAL STEEL PACKAGING CONGRESS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .page 23

F o o d

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RESEARCHERS GIVE GREEN LIGHTFOR THE USE OF METAL CONTAINERS IN MICROWAVES

U nder normal conditions ofuse, shallow and wide opensteel and aluminium

containers are safe to be used inmicrowave ovens. This is theoutcome of an independent studyby the renowned FraunhoferInstitute. Researchers also foundthat food in metal containers ismore uniformly heated than inplastic containers. The findingsopen up a wealth ofopportunities for consumers andbrand owners alike.

Aimed at looking into the safety andperformance of microwave heating food in rigidsteel and aluminium containers, the survey wasconducted by the renowned Fraunhofer Institutefor Process Engineering and Packaging onbehalf of the Metal In Microwave Industry Group(MIMIG) composed of Alcan Rhenalu, theAssociation of European Producers of Steel forPackaging (APEAL), Crown Food Europe,Fördergesellschaft Metallverpackungen (FGM),Impress and Novelis.

The heating experiments were performed withfood packed in five metal containers of differentdimensions and shape and with four differentpopular household microwave oven models.

The following metal containers were tested:

� a round steel bowl (99 mm diameter x 35 mmheight), used with 200 g filling,

� a round steel bowl (127 mm diameter x 30mm height), used with 250 g filling,

� a square steel container (125 mm x 125 mmx 25 mm), used with 300 g filling,

� a rectangular aluminium container (160mm x 99 mm x 35 mm), used with 400 g filling,

� a round steel container (153 mm diameter,36 mm height), used with 425 g filling.

These containers were chosen because of theirlarge open surface and shallow profile. This isconsidered as preferable for use in microwaveovens. Comparison experiments wereperformed with plastic containers of similarshape and size, filled with the same quantity oftest food. The plastic containers were made of C-PET and were specified for microwave heating.Test fillings in heating experiments were tapwater, egg batter, chili con carne and an infantmeal (pasta with vegetables and small meat ballsin sauce). All the test materials were liquid orsemi-liquid and filled the containers completelyfrom side to side.

The microwave nominal power ratings for thefour ovens were 700 W, 800 W, 900 W and1000 W. The oven constructions were of thestandard household type with glass turntableand with the opening of the microwave wave-guide in the right side wall of the oven cavity.

Safe for use During about 1000 microwave heatingexperiments with normal handling of metalcontainers, not a single incidence of a spark or apotentially risky situation was observed. Inaddition, no functional oven damage or unusualdegradation of oven power was found after thislarge number of heating experiments with metalcontainers.

“We therefore conclude that the use of shallowand wide open metal containers for heating offood in microwave ovens is perfectly viable froma safety point of view, as long as some basicrules of microwave oven operation arerespected” says Thomas Pfeiffer, a Fraunhofer

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Under normal conditions of use,shallow and wide open steel andaluminium containers are safefor use in microwave ovens.

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researcher. A few basic guidelines, such as fullyremoving the lid of the container, placing onlyone filled container at a time in the centre of theglass turntable and leaving a gap between metalcontainer and oven wall, are specified in theFraunhofer report.

More uniform heat Although microwave heating times for food insteel and aluminium containers were longer thanin similar plastic containers, there was generallyless temperature variation and therefore betterheating uniformity in the tested metal containers.The study recommends the use of shallow metalcontainers with a wide open surface area toreduce the heating time.

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BASIC GUIDELINES FOR SAFE USE OF STEEL CONTAINERS IN MICROWAVE OVENS� The metal lid of the container must be removed completely prior to microwaveheating.

� As with containers of other materials, only full containers must be put into themicrowave oven.

� Only one metal container must be heated at a time.

� Place the metal container in the centre of the glass turntable. An insulating airgap of at least 2.5 centimetres between metal container and oven walls or oven floorshould be maintained. For ovens without glass turntable, the container must beplaced on a ceramic dish.

Conclusions of thestudy� Microwave heating of food in steel andaluminium containers with a large open surfaceand shallow profile is safe, provided that somebasic rules of microwave operation are respected.

� No functional oven damage or unusualdegradation of microwave power has beenobserved.

� Microwave heating times for food in metalcontainers are longer than for food in similarplastic containers. The difference decreases for

larger containers. Therefore, it is recommendedto use shallow metal containers with a largeopening surface.

� Temperature distribution was generally moreuniform in the tested metal containers than in theplastic containers.

Temperature distribution for Metal and Plastic

METAL PLASTIC

Cold spotsHot spotsIntermediate temperature

Temperatures are shown as percentage of average end temperature. Each measurement consists of two planes(13 mm measurement is near to filling surface, the 8 mm measurement is near to the bottom of the container).

13 mm 8 mm

8 mm13 mm

13 mm 8 mm

8 mm13 mm

Chili con carne

Infant meal

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F o o d

New market potential The microwaveability of shallow metalcontainers opens up a wealth of newopportunities for brand owners and consumersalike. For the consumer, it offers the addedconvenience of dual ovenability with bothmicrowave and traditional ovens. For brandowners it provides new opportunities to segmenttheir product range further by developingsuitable food products such as ready meals andsoups for microwaveable metal packaging.

Microwave ready mealsfit the convenience mega-trendIndeed, latest Datamonitor consumer trendstudies show that consumers of all agesincreasingly opt for convenience in their day-to-day food preparation choices. According to thissame study, the convenience mega-trend reflectstime pressures, stresses and work-life balanceissues which consumers are increasinglyexperiencing. Consumers constantly seek outmore efficient and effective products that canhelp facilitate crammed lifestyles and respond tothe need to maximise leisure time. Traditionalmealtimes are evolving, being replaced withlighter and quicker meals.

As a consequence, the ready meals market isgrowing in every global region, but particularlyin Europe, reflecting the consumer’s desire forconvenience and quick easy meals.

RESEARCHERS GIVE GREEN LIGHT FOR THE USE OF METAL CONTAINERS IN MICROWAVES

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This growing importance of pre-prepared mealsis also reflected by the high frequency ofmicrowaving. According to Datamonitor figures,the average consumer now microwaves around19.3 meals a month in the US and in Europe,nearly 4,5 times a week.

The microwaving popularity demonstrates theascendancy of ready meals and a focus on timeand labour-saving.

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For the Executive Summary of the full study, please go to

www.apeal.orgor contact:

Charles ReulandCommunications Manager

APEAL, on behalf of MIMIG (Metal In Microwave Industry Group)Avenue Louise 89 - 1050 Brussels

BELGIUMTel: +32 2 537 91 51 c.reuland@apeal.be

www.apeal.org

KEY ADVANTAGES OF STEEL CONTAINERS IN THE MICROWAVE 1. Dual ovenability: the same steel containers can be used either in themicrowave or in conventional ovens

2. Rigidity, especially after heating, allowing easier handling

3. Less risk of over-heating; no risk of melting unlike plastics

4. Better heating uniformity than with plastics

5. Best recycling performance amongst food containers

13%

36%

13%

22%

17%

4%

22%

42%

9%

22%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

2-times a day Once a day 3-6 times a week Once a week Less often or never

US Europe

Sources: Datamonitor

Frequency of use of microwave ovens in the US and Europe

Heating experiments wereperformed on 5 different metal

containers, among which a roundsteel bowl (153 mm x 36 mm)

(left, top & bottom); a round steelbowl (127 mm x 30 mm)

(right, top & bottom).

US Europe

2-times a day Once a day 3-6 times a day Once a week Less often or never

PUMP UP THE KEGS

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B e v e r a g e

The “Stand Alone-Event”packageAPEAL recently interviewed Dr Opferkuch,CEO of Huber Packaging Group whoconfirmed : “The party keg is becoming moreand more popular as a ‘Stand-Alone-Event’package which has established the steel keg asan important proportion of the total packagingmix of German breweries. Moreover the partykeg has become an integral part of the so-called Home-Draft systems that breweries areintroducing now throughout Europe. Thedevelopment by fillers of integrated CO2

pressure systems is accelerating the growth ofthis market even more, with systems whichmaintain the draft beer fresh for up to 4 weeksafter tapping from the keg. This is really amajor marketing breakthrough and consumerreaction has been extremely positive.”

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T here is a clear trend towards home consumptionof beer at private parties and social eventswhich is favouring the growth of the steel beer

keg. These new developments in the beer marketwere demonstrated during the 2006 World FootballChampionship in Germany, when there was a majorexpansion of party keg sales for the homeconsumption of beer, causing a serious supplyshortage. Dr. Schäuble, CEO,

Rothaus Brewery

Dr. Opferkuch,CEO, HuberPackaging Group

➱

➱

The steel keg providesan excellent, freshlytapped glass of draftbeer.

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Pioneer and TrendsetterWithout doubt, Huber is the undisputed leaderin the world for steel party kegs, alongsideother key players such as Impress andKleemann Verpackungen. Huber’s primemarket for party kegs is in countries with ahigh population density, such as the USA,Canada, Europe, Asia (e.g. China and India),and in Africa and even as far as Australia.

“Our main customers for steel party kegs”, DrOpferkuch continued, “are global players inthe beer brewing industry such as Inbev, SAB,Heineken, major players like Coors,Warsteiner, Kulmbacher, Radeberger. We alsosupply a considerable number of small andmiddle-size breweries. We expect majorgrowth in steel kegs in the future, and this isthe reason for Huber’s major investment toexpand production facilities here in Öhringento supply this new demand.”

A traditional brew in steel kegsBaden-Württemberg Brewer Rothaus is one ofthe party keg success stories. Established in1791 by Benedictine monks, Rothaus has oneof the most ultra modern breweries producingthis legendary beer, reputed for its highquality.

“We have been using steel party kegs for morethan 10 years now”, said Dr Schäuble, CEO ofRothaus during our meeting in Baden-Württemberg. “In 2006 the growth of our partykeg business continued with a 15% increaseover the prior year reaching a total salesvolume of 1 million litres of our draft beer”.

“The steel party keg has been a naturalextension to our product mix and meets therequirements of the modern consumer.Offering our product in a packaging solutionthat corresponds to consumption at a particularmoment in time or a particular social event wasa critical issue for our success. The steel keg

provides an excellent, freshly tapped, glass ofdraft beer and creates an informal atmosphereat a party gathering anywhere and at anytime.The quality of the natural draft beer ismaintained and the presence of the 5-litre kegprovides an excellent facing for brandrecognition during the regular visits of theguests to the tap. Quality draft beer at localevents has been an extremely efficient and costeffective marketing tool for the promotion ofour brand and the image of our company.”

For more informationplease contact:

Dr Rainer Opferkuch CEO

Huber Packaging GmbH + Co. KGOtto-Meister-Straße 2DE-74613 Öhringen

GERMANYTel : +49/7941 66 0

rainer.opferkuch@huber-packaging.comhttp://www.huber-packaging.com

Steel kegs : major growth expectedby Huber in the future.

CONVENIENCE & ADDED VALUEFOR BEVERAGE CANS

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I n n o v a t i o n

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The Technical Centre, afuture-orientedcompetence centreSabine Köppe: ‘We have 70 highly skilledpeople of various nationalities working at thecentre, among which chemists, physicists, foodand beverage technologists, metal specialistsand engineers. Most of them are German, butsome are English, Dutch, Polish or American.Our Centre dates back to 1996 and has state-of-the-art equipment. We have a can filling lineon which we can apply pasteurisation orsterilisation, we have facilities to dofundamental tests but we also have a pilot linefor large applications in our Weissenthurmplant which is close to our centre. We have thecapability to use 2D and 3D design and to doall kinds of simulations of processes that occurin practice. We work very closely together withour marketing & sales team, our purchasing

A PEAL went to visit the Technical Centre of Ball Packaging Europein Bonn, which houses state-of-the-art equipment tailor-made forthe centre. Sabine Köppe, Manager Laboratory Services, and

Dr Bernd Ullmann, Manager New Product Development, gave an insightinto the activities of the Technical Centre.

department, our customer service departmentand of course our plants. Our Technical Centrealso plays a role in the support of licenseesand in the technical exchange withBall USA. The exchange with theBall R & D Centre in the USA is veryfruitful, although the focus ofactivities is somewhat different inpractice. But that is only logical dueto the market differences on the twocontinents’.

Sabine Köppe: ‘Ball in the USA is quiteadvanced in increasing the efficiency ofthe DWI production process. Nowonder, because they have an enormousand rather homogeneous market. We inthe Technical Centre in Bonn put moreemphasis on product innovation which isalso a result of a more fragmented market.Moreover, we use both aluminium and steelas raw material for our cans and that has animpact on our research efforts’.

The expert services of theTechnical CentreThe Technical Centre has a variety ofcustomers. Often a research programme isdriven by a customer demand, but the BPEmanufacturing plants are also internalcustomers for the Technical Centre.

Sabine Köppe: ‘If you look at the packagingtechnology support we are giving here, we doundertake quite a number of quick tests tostudy the compatibility of a certain drink witha steel or aluminium can. Such a compatibility

test is essential before acustomer of ours puts anew drink on the market.From experience weknow that beer, forexample, is ratherharmless in terms of

corrosion, whereas youhave to be careful with mineral

waters or energy drinks. Every year around200 drinks go through our quick testprogramme.

The development of asecurity system for theGerman deposit systemAnother good illustration of the high techsolutions in which the Technical Centre has animportant contribution is the development ofthe security logo on beverage cans inGermany.

AN INSIGHT INTO PRODUCT INNOVATION AT BALL PACKAGING EUROPE’S TECHNICAL CENTRE, BONN

Thermochromic inksindicate the correctconsumptiontemperature for the beer.

Sabine Köppe, Manager LaboratoryServices, and Dr Bernd Ullmann,Manager New Product Development,at the Ball Packaging Europe’sTechnical Centre in Bonn.

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Sabine Köppe: ‘Since 1st May 2006, beveragecans have been taken back via reverse-vendingmachines in the supermarkets. However, it isnecessary to have a good system to preventfraud. For this reason, the beverage canproducers represented by the BCME, theBeverage Can Makers Europe, developed sucha system together with the DPG, the DeutschePfand Gesellschaft. The key element in thissystem is the DPG security logo that is printedon the cans which registers the moves of thecans. Much of the development work and thefine-tuning for this was carried out in theTechnical Centre in Bonn. We worked veryclosely together with DPG and the producersof the reverse-vending machines such asTomra and Nixdorf Wincor, but also with canfillers and the retailers. And the system seemsto work quite satisfactorily!’

Convenience & AddedValue: the keydevelopment direction forBeverage cans at BPEAs a leader in the manufacture of beveragecans, Ball undertakes a lot of developmentwork in the USA as well as in Europe in orderto further enhance the attributes of beveragecans. New Product Development Manager,Dr Bernd Ullmann, is well positioned to give abrief overview of the developments.

Dr Bernd Ullmann: ‘Of course the key word forus and our customers is ‘added value’. We havebeen working hard for many years to enhancethe beverage can’s emotional added value byimproving the printing quality, making thecans suitable for promotions and games, bylaser-etching the tabs for example. To this end,we have also developed promising newtechnologies such as waterless printing anddigital printing. And I think the embossedbeverage cans that we have been supplying fora number of years really have an added value

for the brand owner. The beverage can lendsitself very well to give really functional addedvalue, to being a ‘smart can’. This ability isoften made possible thanks to an intelligentuse of the overpressure in the cans by the CO2

and liquid nitrogen gas in the drinks packed.Widgets in cans have been used for some yearsto produce a smooth and creamy foam layer,firstly for beer but also for coffee drinks, forexample the ‘Kenco Ice Cappio’.

‘Another promising development in which wehave invested considerable effort in the lastfew years is the aseptically filled beverage can.The application of thermochromic inks thatindicates the correct consumption temperaturefor the beer is of course also an example of areal functional added value feature. We arealso working hard on both sides of the AtlanticOcean on the development of reclosable cans,as we are well aware that consumers wouldappreciate a convenient but at the same timeaffordable feature to make their beverage canreclosable. You can be sure that there are morevery interesting ideas in our R & D planningaimed at increasing even more theconvenience features offered by today’sbeverage can’.

ABOUT BALL PACKAGING EUROPEBall Corporation in Broomfield (USA) had a turnover of US $ 6.6 billion in 2006 and today employsmore than 15,500 people in 90 locations around the globe.

The packaging division generates 90 % of the Ball Corporation turnover; the other 10 % come fromthe Ball Aerospace division in which aerospace equipment is produced.

Ball Packaging Europe (BPE) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ball Corporation. BPE operationsinclude 12 manufacturing plants for beverage cans (10 body and 2 end plants) and the R & D Centrein Bonn. BPE employs approx. 2700 people and had a turnover of more than 1 billion Euro in 2006.BPE has a market share of approx. 30 % in the European market for beverage cans. This market hada size of 45 billion cans in 2006.

For more informationplease contact:

Sabine Köppe Manager Laboratory Services

sabine_koeppe@ball-europe.com

Dr. Bernd Ullmann Manager New Product Development

bernd_ullmann@ball-europe.com

Ball Packaging Europe GmbHTechnical Centre Bonn

Friedrich-Wöhler-Strasse 51DE-53117 Bonn

GERMANYTel: +49/228 557-0

www.ball-europe.com

Promising new technology :waterless printing.

Widgets in cans produce a smooth andcreamy foam layer.

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I n t e r v i e w

SHAPING: KEY TO REPOSITIONINGTHE IMAGE OF THE CAN

P ackaging is an important issue for Nestlé and packaging costsmake up a considerable part of the product’s final price. APEALwent to Nestlé packaging technology department at its headquar-

ters in Vevey, Switzerland, to interview Juerg Luck, Assistant VicePresident Packaging Technology of Nestlé.

Juerg Luck: “We have 420 packagingspecialists working in the 17 research andproduct development centres worldwide.There is a functional, unhierarchical

relationship with my department in Vevey.Of course the local marketingdepartments choose the type of packagefor a new product. They often useconsumer research to determine theoptimal presentation on the supermarketshelf. Our packaging specialists have animportant say in the packaging designand the specifications. Over the yearswe have of course built up a widepackaging experience and all units canuse that pool of experience.”

Metal packaging, animportant part ofNestlé’s packagingmixJuerg Luck: “We spend

approximately 9 billion Swissfrancs yearly on packaging alone,which is almost 10% of our

turnover. In our packaging mix themetal packaging part has slightly decreased inthe last few years, mainly because Nestléacquired companies not using any metalpackaging. However, steel packaging still

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Nescau cocoa powdercelebrating its 75thanniversary with a new shape.

Nestlé’s headquarters inVevey, Switzerland.

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represents 17% of our packaging mix and westill consume 230.000 tonnes of steel packagingevery year. There is a clear evolution in theorigin of the cans; ten years ago we stillproduced 40% of the cans ourselves in-housebut today we produce still only 20% of the canswe use ourselves. Our philosophy in thisrespect is quite simple: if we are able to buyquality cans from a commercial canmakerlocated at an acceptable distance, we will doso. Several big canmakers all over the worldare supplying cans to us. We will only continueour own in-house can production and keepinvesting in it if there is no viable alternative orif the canmaker is too far away, as is the casein various South-American countries.Voluminous milk powder containers cansimply not be transported over long distances.Even though we abandoned own canmakingin the last few years, in the Netherlands andDenmark for example, we still have 38 canproduction centres in the world of which 6production centres are located in Europe (3 inFrance, 2 in Spain and 1 in Switzerland).”

The role of packaginghas changedtremendouslyJuerg Luck: “In the past 10 years the role ofpackaging has changed tremendously.Packaging used to be primarily a means ofprotecting the contents. But we all realisethat it is the packaging that the consumer seesfirst on the supermarket shelf. We know thatconsumers make 70% of their purchasingdecisions in the shop. Logically packaging hasbecome an important driver for sales and itsimportance has grown accordingly. Consumerresearch shows that shape and graphics of apackage have a big influence on product sales.Brand owners have to take these factors intoaccount when they decide on the packagingfor a new product”.

Promote shaped cans tomodify the traditionalimage of the canJuerg Luck points out that Nestlé evaluates theshelf impact of packaging of its products. “As a

global supplier of consumerproducts we have to keep allpackaging options open.

Because of its robustness,efficiency and safety, metalpackaging is often our

preferred packaging choice,particularly in countries wherethe infrastructure of the supply

chain is still relatively weak.However, we have someconcerns. From our regularconsumer surveys we have noticedthat consumers perceive food cansas traditional and not

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environmentally-friendly. Whilst insiders areaware of the good performance of steelpackaging as a result of its high recycling ratesover large parts of Europe, the averageconsumer does not necessarily know this”.Therefore, according to Juerg Luck, theenvironmental image of metal packaging needsconstant and serious attention.

To consolidate the position of the food can onthe longer term, Juerg Luck recommends thatcanmakers and machine suppliers promote theuse of shaped cans more extensively. “Moreshaping technology should be made availablefor cans. We ourselves have introduced somenew can shapes recently, some in Brazil andone in Russia. I find it logical to use well-designed cans for the high added-valueproducts that we and other brand owners putonto the market. As I said earlier, shape isimportant for shelf impact. And, of course,features that make cans consumer-friendly likeeasy opening ends or peel-off ends simplybelong to a modern can. The more shapedcans we see on the shelves, the more positiveconsumer perception will be, even more so,when convenience is increased”.

ABOUT NESTLÉIn 1866 Henri Nestlé founded the company. Today Nestlé is the biggest food and beverage companyin the world with sales in 2006 of CHF 98.5 billion with a net profit of CHF 9.2 billion. These resultswere achieved by 265.000 employees, spread over 481 factories in 187 countries in the world. In2006, Nestlé spent 1.7 billion Swiss francs on the R & D expenses, equivalent to 1,8% of its yearlyturnover. Nestlé’s mission statement : “The Company’s priority is to bring the best and most relevantproducts to people, wherever they are, whatever their needs, throughout their lives.”

Shapely steel cansfor Moça.

Creating shelfimpact, the Ninhosteel milk churn.

INSPIRING STEEL PACKAGINGSOLUTIONS

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S t e e l P a c k a g i n g G a l l e r y

HEART SHAPED PACKAGING FOR FACIAL CREAM This heart shaped packaging for facial cream was developed by Huber DecorativePackaging for the international cosmetic line Laurent Cristanel as a special St. Valentine’sDay promotion. The solid drawn tin has a body depth of 37,5 mm on a relatively smallfootprint, requiring precise control of the shaping process. The smooth contours of the tin

are further enhanced by the use of an inside curl on the lid and a recessed body top curl. The effectis a streamlined uninterrupted shape without ripples in the tinplate. The packaging is attractivelyprinted in striking shiny ruby red on the inside and outside of the can.

WAVE SHAPED CHAMPAGNE ‘CELLAR BOX’ The Cellar Box for Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin champagnes (Rare Vintage Rosé 1985 andRare Vintage 1988) is a stunning high-tech steel case designed by Pablo Reinoso andproduced by Virojanglor, France. The sleek urban chic look of the Cellar Box, with ametallic sheen elegantly set off by foam sides in trademark Clicquot

yellow, make it a coveted accessory for city dwellers eager to save space.The ingenious wave shape makes it easy to stack the boxes—three boxesform a pyramid. The use of tinplate and inner foam protects thebottle of champagne from shocks and light.

www.steelforpackaging.org

STEEL BOWL-SHAPED CAN FOR PÂTÉCalvo group, a leading producer of canned fish in Spain has launched anew single-serve tuna pâté range in the Spanish market in an 85 g steelbowl-shaped can by CROWN Food. The bowl has a diameter of 65mmand uses PeelSeam™ technology. The package maintains product

integrity, has excellent shelf presence and allows consumers to enjoy the pâtédirectly from the bowl. Safe and easy to use, the peelable lids leave no sharp edges.High-quality graphics may also be applied to the PeelSeamTM foil panel or the bowlexterior itself to enhance brand recognition and maximize shelf impact.

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INSPIRING STEEL PACKAGING

SOLUTIONS

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THE STRIKINGLY SLENDER ‘SLEEK CAN’The "sleek can" is a beverage can format with a strikinglyslender silhouette developed by Ball Packaging Europe. Ithas the normal 330 ml filling volume, but is some 30 mmtaller and therefore significantly slimmer in shape than the

standard beverage can. The ‘sleek can’ signalizes the trend towardsbeverages with less calories and is especially suited for light andwellness drinks such as flavoured mineral water. Recent launchesusing steel sleek cans include Unilever’s Lipton ice tea light & Danone’sTaillefine Fiz.

FLEXIDEC™ OFFERS SHORT RUN DECORATION SYSTEM FOR AEROSOLS

Three-piece steel aerosol cans are decorated prior to delivery using a labellingsystem specifically designed for the aerosol industry. The Flexidec™ system,developed by Impress, delivers high quality graphics and is based on theapplication of a clear or white polypropylene substrate which is printed and then

fixed with a high performance adhesive to the container. Printed with UV curable inks andvarnishes in either Letterpress or, more usually Flexography, the system offers a decoratedaerosol can that is sufficiently robust to cope with all the rigours of the supply chain. Itenables shorter economical production runs and shorter lead times to deliver supply chainflexibility now demanded by sectors of the market. Developed by the aerosol group inMerthyr Tydfell, UK, customers have been supplied in the UK, Spain and France supportingspecialized products and new product developments.

WERA SCREW DRIVER AEROSOL CAN

Wera Tools, the global hand tool specialist,has launched its Kraftform Fluid range oflubricants and protectants in an innovative,easy-to-grip shaped packaging, which mimics

the appearance of Wera's Kraftform® screwdriverhandle. This high-impact package is manufactured usingCrown's proprietary blowforming process, whichmaximizes container integrity and product protection.The process begins by placing preforms into precision-engineered moulds. High pressure air causes the steel toexpand and take the shape of the mold. No tooling orliquid is used inside the container, preventing damage tointernal coatings.

Would you like to know more about all these

steel packaging solutions?

Please visit:

www.steelforpackaging.org

T he three-piece welded steel can is making a strong impact on foodand beverage packaging in the emerging world markets. With stateof the art technology, it is cost effective, offers maximum security

with an extended shelf life, and is one of the most ecological packagingsolutions available today. Distributors in Africa, South America andAsia have chosen the welded steel can due to its competitive cost, resis-tance to harsh transport conditions, and guarantee of optimal preser-vation of the food in the difficult climate conditions which are fre-quently experienced in these countries.

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Jakob Guyer, CEO ofSoudronic, saidrecently, “What strikesus is the strong demandfor high-speed ultramodern production linesin developing countries.

It is clear that local canmakers and fillers want to catchup with the rest of the world andhave a highly competitiveproduct which will meet the moststringent of world-widespecifications in markets such asChina, Russia, Thailand, Brazil,Mexico and various countries inAfrica. Our contribution to theindustry, without doubt, has beento make competitive, high qualitysteel cans for food and technicalproducts available to all markets,having been responsible for theworld-wide roll-out of more than5000 seam welding lines.”

T r e n d s

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Swiss Quality in Steel CanThe Soudronic Company has developed themost technically advanced process for three-piece steel can production at speeds in excessof 800 cans per minute.

The Soudronic Metal Packaging Group wasestablished in the 1950’s as a small Swisssupplier of can-making equipment. Theobjective was to improve the quality standardsof the three-piece can with the introduction oftheir first welded steel can body maker.Gradually this process became the dominanttechnology for steel food and general linecans. As world leaders in seam weldingmachines, Soudronic quickly expanded theiractivities to include related technologies, suchas, slitting and transfer machines and morerecently can forming and end making. TodaySoudronic are technology leaders in their fieldwith a world-wide organization of more than600 people in 120 countries to service thecurrent 5000 steel can production lines.

To serve a diversity of market requirements, ithas been necessary to offer a packagingsolution which is flexible enough to offer highproduction rates with a maximum of canformats and the ability to process harder andthinner steel.

3 piece welded steel can – making astrong impact on packaging in theemerging markets.

THREE-PIECE STEEL CAN MAKES ITS MARK IN THE EMERGING MARKETSINTERVIEW WITH GLOBAL EQUIPMENT SUPPLIER SOUDRONIC

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Competing with worldclass playersPeter Schreiber, Technical Director ofSoudronic and responsible for innovation,stressed that although the consumption percapita of steel cans in these emerging countriesis quite often still modest, the economics ofSoudronic welded steel production permitthese countries to offer quality cans withmaximum security at world class productionspeeds. This enables medium size can-makingcompanies to also compete with multinationalalternative packaging companies.

“Currently”, he said, “we are supplying twonew, ultra modern high-speed can lines to theChinese company Chalkis Tomato Products,one of the largest producers and exporters oftomato paste in China. The line is capable ofspeeds in excess of 1300 cans per minute,using steel which is only 0.13 mm thicktogether with end production at rates of 3300ends per minute at a thickness of only0.14mm. In Thailand a similar line is beinginstalled for a shaped can for health drinks, inMexico to export filled food cans to the USAand in Korea we are installing a high-speedaerosol can-making line.”

“The good news for brand owners andconsumers is that steel cans are offering evengreater cost effectiveness with lowerthicknesses reaching 0.12 mm,” Peter Schreibercontinued, “with the added advantage of usingless material and thus reducing environmentalimpact”.

UNISEAL peel-offequipment increasesconvenienceThe convenience awareness of the consumerhas been established over the years withnumerous easy opening devices, themost reputed being the Easy-Open-End. More recently, peelable endsare making the headlines andUNISEAL peel-off equipment is amajor contender from Soudronic.This addition to their technologyportfolio together with theirshaping capability offers an evenmore complete single source supplyand a total service to the can-makingindustry. Soudronic earned the Metpack 2005Innovation Award for their peelable endCompeel® which consists of a curled ring andaluminium or composite membrane heat-sealed to the ring. This technology is currentlybeing used for dry products such as infantformula baby foods, dried milk and coffee inBrazil, South Africa, Russia and Malaysia andother countries. However, the most significantgrowth is in the canned fish industry, which iscontinuing to snow ball. In France, Spain,Morocco and the USA there is a tremendouspotential where the canning industry is readyto convert to peelable ends. Considerabledevelopment is being undertaken to developthe use of continuous processing for peelableends as this will lower the entrance barrier forthis consumer-friendly end.

Shaping up to the futureThe popularity of the three-piece can and theconvenience of a peelable end will no doubthave a positive impact and foster sustainablegrowth for the future. However, image is apowerful tool, especially with youngconsumers. Shaped three-piecesteel cans are, as ac o n s e q u e n c e ,becoming more andmore frequent whenlaunching newdesigns. This trendwill no doubt continueto offer added value tothe thee-piece steel canwith some very uniquedesigns for aerosols andeven for paint cans.

For more informationplease contact:

Jakob GuyerCEO

Soudronic AGIndustriestraße 35

CH-8962 BergdietikonSWITZERLAND

Tel +41/44 732 66 66jakob.guyer@soudronic.com

www.soudronic.com

With Compeel®, Soudronic launches a newgeneration of peel-off ends for 2 and 3-piece cans.

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W ith today's manufacturing know-how, canned foods have made their mark in a world which is moreand more sensitive to security, health and nutrition. Sophisticated food processing technologies andefficient thermic transfer during the shortest possible time frame ensures a precise control of retort-

ing temperatures (sterilisation). It also maintains consistent high standards of quality to meet today's criti-cal consumer demands. Furthermore, canned foods are protected from light and oxidisation, and whenstored at room temperature, preserve their vitamins for at least 3 years without high energy-consumingrefrigeration.

NUTRITIONAL VALUE, SAFETY & PROTECTION

NUTRITIONAL VALUE

Studies confirm cannedfoods are as healthy asfresh foodsThe current trend favours fresh, organic foodsfor nutrition and health, but in fact, freshvegetables are not necessarily more nutritiousthan canned food. A study by the University ofIllinois Department of Food Science andHuman Nutrition found that canned fruits andvegetables provide as much dietary fibre andvitamins as the same fresh foods, and in somecases, even more.

Fresh foods begin losing their vitamins as soonas they are picked. They are often stored in

warehouses or are in transit for as long as twoweeks before they reach the market. Freshfruits and some vegetables are harvestedbefore they are even ripe and depend uponthis time lapse to be ready for consumption.Canned foods, on the contrary, are harvestedat their peak of ripeness and are processedfrom the source within hours (in most casesless than 2 hours), thus preserving morevitamins than their fresh counterparts.

Extra nutritional valueThe nutritional and health value of cannedfoods has been largely underestimated formany years. Even today, the average consumerbelieves that the essential elements in food arelost in the canning process. In reality, cannedfood maintains high nutritional values.

That's because canned foods preserve high

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levels of nutrients and vitamins, oftenmore than fresh food, chilled, or frozenequivalents. The canning process actuallycaptures and 'locks in' nutrients, whichwould otherwise be lost.

The quality of food which is destinedfor can processing is strictly controlledto maintain freshness. More so, in fact,than the majority of 'fresh' foods whichare stocked and supplied using variousdistribution channels. The lapse of timebetween the harvesting, transport andprocessing of canned foods is extremely short.This is one of the principal reasons why theymaintain such a high nutritional value.

Vitamins galoreProteins and lipids remain intact in cannedfoods. Vitamins, which are often sensitive toheat, light and oxidisation are safeguarded. Thevitamin content of canned vegetables istherefore higher than that of fresh vegetablesthat have been cooked for too long, or storedfor several days in the refrigerator. It is a well-known fact that asparagus can lose up to 40%of its vitamin C within just 24 hours of storage,spinach 30% and green beans 20%.

Studies at the Cornell University of Ithaka, NewYork, have shown that with the short, hightemperature heating used by the canner inmodern food production processes, thenutritional value is in fact improved withcertain types of food. In the case of tomatoesand corn on the cob, lycopenes - a secondaryplant material - are released at hightemperature during food processing.

The vitamin C loss is considerably less than innormal home cooking and an independentstudy from the Faculty of Ecotrophology inMönchengladbach (Germany) shows that theA, B and E group vitamins, including folic acid,are preserved in canned foods together withcarbohydrates, proteins and fatty acids.

Moreover, a report conducted in 2005 by TNOshows that the carotenoid content (essential fornormal growth, the development of immunesystem functions and vision), found in carrotspacked in steel cans is much higher, reachinga factor of 12 against 7.8 for fresh carrots.

No needs for additives &preserving agentsContrary to popular belief, canned fruits andvegetables are preserved using controlled heatsterilisation. No chemical preservatives areused and no additives are needed to preservethem.

Canning is one of the best studied forms offood preservation. The sterilisation processoccurs inside the can as the food is uniformlyheated.

Steel packs also transfer the heat to the foodmore rapidly and allow the penetration of heatto the centre of the product. This means thatcanned foods are the safest form of foodbecause the conditions used are designed topreserve their microbiological safety, as well asnutritional and sensory qualities.

A balanced diet constitutes a variety of produce from different food groups, fruitand vegetables, meat and fish, beans, bread, cereal and milk and dairy foods -

which are all available in canned foods.

An excellent example of the advantage of canned foods is canned tomatoes, whichcontain a higher percentage of 'lycopenes' - a powerful anti oxidant against

carcinogenic free radicals. - which is absorbed more easily by the body than freshtomatoes. Oily fish such as canned mackerel, sardines and pilchards are rich inOmega 3 and are a recommended part of the weekly diet. Canned fish is a veryconvenient way to ensure sufficient quota of Omega 3. Canned food naturally“locks in” nutrients. The produce is picked and very quickly filled into the cans.

People often think that nutrients are lost during the process but on the contrary, thecanning process seals in the nutrients and preserves their content.

There are some unique ways that canned foods can contribute to a balanced dietand canners need to communicate to the consumer the process used, its

effect on the produce and the fact that canned food does not containadditives. Labelling is important and indicating the contents in terms of

calories, protein, salt, sugar etc., is very useful.

Lyndell Costain, UK Registered Dietician

“

”

Canned products provide similar vitamin content to freshly prepared dishes

Canned peas and carrots

Fresh peas and carrots

Source: Institut für Lebensmittelqualität/Willich und Fachhochschule Niederrhein/Mönchengladbach

% Re

comm

ende

d dail

y amo

unt

(per

100g

of Pr

oduc

t)

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NUTRITIONAL VALUE, SAFETY & PROTECTION SAFETY & PROTECTION

Consumers trust the can -more than everThe steel food pack represents a highperforming packaging solution which has beenpresent in our food markets for over 200 years.Today, more than ever, it is associated withtrust not only in the consumer's mind, but alsoin that of the brand owner.

Food canning - safestguarantee againstmicrobial contaminationof foodFood canning is one of the safest forms of foodprocessing due to heat sterilisation and thestrict adherence to health and safetyrequirements.

The simplicity of the canning process and thethoroughness of the heat sterilising processensure that incidences of inadequateprocessing are extremely rare. In addition, thecanning industry was one of the first to adoptthe HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical ControlPoint) principles of food safety.

Almost all kinds of foods have been implicatedin Bacillus cereus food-borne poisoning, aspore-forming bacteria. The majority ofoutbreaks were linked to the consumption ofheat-treated foods. Failure in refrigeration wasfrequently suspected. No wonder that theEuropean Food Safety Authority has foundcanning the best means of fighting some formsof food-borne bacteria. Only heat treatmentsused for the canning of low acid foods canensure the complete destruction of theBacteria Bacillus cereus.

Consumers rely on steelpacks being tamper proofThe demand for tamper-proof packaging isgrowing amidst fears and concerns about foodsafety. As consumers increasingly demand safe,tamper-evident packaging, the rigidity of steelpacks responds well to the need to protectfood. Steel packaging gives consumers peaceof mind as it is nearly impossible to tamperwith a steel pack without leaving obviousevidence.

Steel packaging is unrivalled when it comes toprotecting the packed content and itsresistance parameters (crushing, perforation,and denting) are considerably higher thanalternative packaging solutions.

Evaluation by packaging decision-makers of SteelPackaging vs. Average Competition

Average Competition Steel

Source: Ipsos Belgium 2003

Offers great barrier properties

Ensures food safety

Preserves the taste

Protects products

Is tamper proof

Long shelf-life

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Unrivalled barrierproperties & longestshelf lifeDue to its 100% oxygen barrier properties andunrivalled protection against light andmoisture, the steel can offers the longest shelflife compared to all alternative packagingsolutions - 3 years, compared to competingsolutions which offer from 4 weeks to 2 years.

Steel packaging is the only container that istotally lightproof and oxygen tight, offeringexcellent barrier properties against light,ultraviolet rays, oxygen and humidity for awide range of products. When used to packagesensitive products such as food, steel ishygienic, non-toxic and retains the product'sflavour.

Steel Packaging: First inclass for reliabilityThe brand owners’ trust is rooted in the factthat steel packaging is best in class forreliability (one failure of the closing device permillion cans detected and discarded), as wellas for filling speeds. As a mature, reliablepackaging solution, the combination of theseaspects with the long shelf life of the canmeans less spoilage for the brand owner andless product recalls directly linked to thepackaging itself. Furthermore, at every stage ofthe logistics chain, steel packs are moreresistant to severe transport and handling

conditions. Fewer damaged packs results inless product spoilage.

Excellent traceabilitySteel packaging has an excellent traceabilityrecord. Quality management systemsimplemented in the steel industry and duringcan manufacture enable fast and detailedupstream and downstream traceability of steelpackaging up to the production lot.

Stringent steel mill certifications give the foodcontact raw material a "pedigree" that identifieseach coil by its composition, physical and

mechanical properties. A unique serial coilnumber, computer generated and archived, isprinted on a label and accompanies the coilshipment to the can manufacturer with all therelevant information.

In case of product recalls, this is an asset forbrand owners and retailers since it allows totarget with greater precision the quantities ofproducts to be recalled and the response timeneeded.

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NUTRITIONAL VALUE, SAFETY & PROTECTION

SUMMING IT UP� Consumers are becoming more aware of health,nutrition, and food safety issues.

� The steel food pack is associated with trust in theconsumer's mind.

� Although canned foods are often overlooked as aconvenient source of nutrition, many canned foods arebursting with nutrients. They are an easy way to includeadditional vitamins and minerals in one's diet.

� Studies confirm that canned food is as healthy as freshfood and in some cases, even healthier.

� Foods packed in steel do not need additives orpreserving agents. They are preserved via controlled heatsterilisation.

� Canning is one of the best-studied forms of foodpreservation, as well as the best means of avoidingcertain forms of food-borne bacteria.

� Steel packaging has an excellent traceability record andoffers unrivalled barrier properties, shelf life,reliability, and is also tamper proof. They are values thatare highly regarded by today’s consumer.

The attributes of canned foods in termsof nutritional value, safety & protectionare outlined in an information fact-file

compiled by the European steel forpackaging Industry as part of a

sequenced information programme tobrand owners, retailers and designerson the values of steel packaging in the

Food segment.

In this article we brought you extractsfrom the third Information pack in the

series – "Nutritional value, safety &protection”.

The complete information packis downloadable at

www.apeal.org

or a printed copy can be obtained bycontacting APEAL

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FURTHER INFORMATION REGARDING THE NUTRITIONAL VALUES OF CANNED FOODS

ANFIMA - ITALYwww.anfima.it

CICE - SPAINwww.conservaenlata.com

CANNED FOOD ALLIANCE - USAwww.mealtime.org

DIE DOSENKÖCHE - GERMANYwww.die-dosenkoeche.de

CANNED FOOD UK - UKwww.cannedfood.co.uk

UPPIA - FRANCEwww.uppia.org

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A PEAL has just closedits entries for its3rd International Steel

Packaging Award based oneffectiveness criteria, whichrecognises those packaging solu-tions that have proven to be themost effective in the market.

22

composed of renowned professionals fromthroughout the packaging chain, will evaluatethe entries with the support of on-line researchcarried out in 15 countries throughout theworld, on 4 continents (Belgium, Brazil, China,France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Poland,Romania, Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands,United Kingdom and USA). It will reveal theparameters (design, shape, convenience..etc )which played a significant role in achieving themarketing results.

This original approach, launched in 2002,stimulated much interest. Satkar Gidda, Sales& Marketing Director, Sieberthead, Jurymember in 2005 commented: “Competitionslike this are great for encouraging people to beinventive as well as innovative, whilst creatingwork that is right for the consumer, focusingon that key word, ‘Effectiveness’”.

Opportunity forinternational exposureDue to the consumer research based nature ofthe Award, there is an outstanding opportunityfor winners to gain international exposure.Tiago Heleno Forte, International Sales andMarketing Executive at Brasilata S/AEmbalagens Metálicas, 1st Prize Winner inthe General Line Category in 2005commented : ‘We consider the APEALaward not only a prestigious recognition ofour constant innovation efforts but an

important marketing and sales tool forpromoting our products’.

Another winner of the 2005 edition, Tak Egawa- Manager, International Operations, ToyoSeikan Kaisha, Ltd, emphasized: ‘We wereextremely honoured to have won thisprestigious Award. It gave us a tremendousopportunity to promote TEC 200 and ourtechnological capability outside of Japan. TheAward also helped our company strengthenour presence in the global packaging industry’.

Winners in each of the 4 Award Categories(Food, Beverage, Promotional and Giftware,General Line (Aerosol, Paints, Health & Beautyand others)) will be announced at the SteelPackaging Effectiveness Award ceremony,which will take place during the 5thInternational Steel Packaging Congress, on24th April 2008, during Interpack / Düsseldorf.

An original researchbased approachrecognized by the marketThe Steel Packaging Effectiveness Awardfocuses on the results achieved by the varioussteel packaging solutions in the market. Theentries will be evaluated on the basis of provenmarketing results: increased sales, marketshare, profitability, brand awareness and/orconsumer attitude shifts.

Consumer research in 15countries on 4 continentsThe 3rd edition of the Award will extend the

geographical scope of theinternational consumer

research. Jurym e m b e r s ,

For further information,please visit:

www.apealaward.orgwww.apealcongress.org

effectiveness

24TH APRIL 2008INTERPACK DÜSSELDORF

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➱page 24

5TH INTERNATIONAL STEEL PACKAGING

CONGRESS

T he next International Steel Packaging Congress will take place on24th April 2008 on the first day of Interpack, the largest packagingfair in the world held every three years in Düsseldorf. Moderated

by Mike Hewitt, Director of Brand Republic, the Congress will focus onthe challenges being faced by our industry today and will look at prod-uct innovation, market development and sustainable development torespond to these challenges.

A packaging congress not to be missedSince the first congress organised in 1996, theAPEAL congress has attracted an increasingnumber of packaging decision-makers, and hasbecome, over time, an event not to be missedwithin the sector. The last edition in 2005 wasattended by 520 packaging decision makersfrom 40 countries worldwide. Whilst in 1996the steel industry presented for the first time,with one voice, the latest developments in thematerial and its applications in the field of

Product innovation,market development andsustainable developmentThe first session will focus on packaginginnovation as a means of enhancing brands.Changing consumer and brand needs andincreasing competition are creating newopportunities in new market segments. Wewill see how packaging innovation is a way tosustain & grow brands. The second sessionwill look market development in terms ofgeographical areas, market segments,economical factors and consumer behaviour.Finally in a society increasingly concernedabout global environmental issues, such asglobal warming and depletion of resources,key note speakers will help address the globalindustry challenge of sustainable development.

TRUSTED EXPERIENCE - VALUE FOR THE FUTURE

STRATEGIES TO MEET NEW CHALLENGES

packaging, the 2nd congress in 1999 focusedon the marketing and design aspects of steelpackaging. In 2002, the accent was placed onthe effectiveness of steel packaging solutionsthroughout the chain, whilst the congress in2005 concentrated on packaging and theconsumer.

www.apealcongress.org

24

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5TH INTERNATIONAL STEEL PACKAGING

CONGRESS

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I S S U E N R 3 0 - D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 7

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Sarah Clapham - APEAL

Editorial Committee

Catherine Jung - Arcelor PackagingVolker Lauterjung - Rasselstein GmbHTom McMurtry - Packaging Consultant

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page 23

Video case studies fromaround the worldIn contrast to traditional congresses, this year’sCongress will use a digivote system, allowingthe audience to participate and interact bymeans of a voting device. The Congress willfeature a series of steel packaging solutions,where co-operation in the chain has producedsteel packaging solutions which effectivelymeet consumer needs in various marketsegments. Alongside the intrinsic qualities ofthe traditional can, accepted and valued by theconsumer, it will look at developmentsundertaken on the various aspects, design,shape, convenience, sizes, etc to keep in tunewith evolving consumer habits and needs.