The top priority of food can makers and can lining companies is to provide safe, quality containers that protect freshness, taste and nutrition. The industry also recognizes its responsibility to protect the environment, listen to consumers and innovate.
Food Cans
Food cans provide safe and affordable food that is convenient and readily available. Canned foods play a key role in helping families achieve healthy diets amid busy schedules and household budgets. The metal in food cans is infinitely recyclable and canned food helps curb food waste.
Can Linings
Can linings protect the integrity of the can, prevent corrosion and provide the highest quality barrier to bacteria, while maintaining quality, flavor and freshness.
In response to consumer preferences, the industry spent years actively developing and testing new can linings. In the United States, nearly all (98%) of U.S. food can production has moved to these new linings.
In fact a Canned Food Market Basket Report from 2019 found that nearly 100% of food cans sampled did not contain BPA as a component of the lining, confirming the industry’s move to the use of new linings in food cans.
Innovations in Can Linings
- New linings are different from their predecessors in that they do not use bisphenol A (BPA) as a component of the can lining.
- The industry does not intentionally add BPF, BPB and BPS substitute in can linings.
- New linings are typically made from acrylic, polyester, non-BPA epoxies or olefin polymers.
- New linings are developed to avoid endocrine activity.
Development of Safe and Effective Can Linings
The development of can linings has always had a strong focus on consumer safety. Hundreds of materials are screened for beneficial properties before being selected to compete for inclusion in can lining prototypes. Only a fraction of the best performers become part of next-generation linings that are proven safe and effective and approved by regulatory authorities.
Food Safety
Can linings are selected to serve as strong barriers, which helps prevent food-borne illness.
- The multiyear development process of can linings is deliberately intensive to ensure all new linings continue the exemplary safety record of canned foods.
- There has not been a single report of foodborne illness from the failure of metal packaging in nearly 40 years.
Six characteristics of linings performance are tested to inform a comprehensive assessment:
- Compatibility with Package – adheres to metal
- Application – can be applied consistently to metal
- Fabrication – durability during can-making process
- Corrosion Resistance – prevents interaction of foods with metal
- Organoleptic Properties – does not impart taste or scent to food
- Universality – effectiveness with multiple food types
Media Coverage About Food Can Innovations
- The List “What everyone gets wrong about canned foods”
- Food Dive “The Evolution of Food Cans: An Innovation Journey”
- Farm to Can Tour (Lifestyle bloggers canned food tour experience)
CMI Research: Canned Food Market Basket Report
Canned Food Market Basket Report – Nearly 100% of food cans did not contain BPA as a component of the lining, confirming the industry’s move to the use of new lining in food cans.