How to choose food packaging boxes: metal cans or plastic cans

       Metal packaging is used in all types of food packaging and is growing rapidly. Consumers’ increased health awareness has a positive impact on metal packaging for food. For example, canned fruits and canned food are generally considered safer and more reliable than plastic packaging, and metal packaging cans have high nutritional value. According to data from research institutions, it is predicted that in 2021, metal can packaging is expected to show a stronger growth momentum in the canned food field compared with plastic packaging.

 Metal packaging has more advantages than plastic packaging. Metal packaging cans can be equipped with easy-open or easy-to-tear lids through double-roll sealing; it can provide the same longer shelf life as traditional canned products. Moreover, metal can packaging can also be reused and is environmentally friendly, unlike plastic cans that cause environmental pollution. These advantages of metal cans make it convenient and portable consumer products. Convenience and portability are also the development trend of the food packaging market.

Advantages of metal cans

Metal packaging cans refer to thin-walled packaging containers made of metal sheets. They are widely used in food packaging, pharmaceutical packaging, daily necessities packaging, instrumentation packaging, industrial product packaging, munitions packaging, etc.; according to data from relevant research institutions: 2021 The U.S. market has a large demand for metal packaging cans in the year, and it has very promising development prospects.

So, what are the advantages of metal packaging cans? What makes it widely used? The metal can factory organizes the following information for you:

1. Excellent barrier properties of metal cans

Metal packaging cans can not only block gases such as air, oxygen, water vapor, carbon dioxide, etc., but also block light, especially ultraviolet light, so it will not cause deliquescent, deterioration, decay, fading and fragrance changes of the contents.

2. Excellent mechanical properties of metal cans

Because metal packaging cans are rigid and easy to handle, they can withstand collisions, vibrations and stacking, and are easy to transport and store, which greatly increases the sales radius of goods.

3. Good thermal conductivity of metal cans

The use of food metal cans has high heating and cooling efficiency, which can improve the effects of high-temperature sterilization and rapid cooling, and it is possible to achieve in-tank cooking of the contents.

4. Good processing adaptability of metal cans

Due to the good ductility of metal, high precision and high speed production can be achieved for complex forming processing. For example, the production speed of the tinplate three-piece can production line can reach 3,600 cans/min. Such high productivity enables metal containers to meet a large number of consumer demands at a lower cost.

5. The metal can is easy to use

The metal packaging can is not easy to be damaged and is convenient to carry. Now many beverage and food cans are combined with easy-open lids, which increase the convenience of use to adapt to the fast-paced life of modern equipment and are widely used in travel life.

6. Metal cans are beautifully decorated

Metal packaging cans generally have a beautiful metallic luster, coupled with colorful graphic printing, which adds to the aesthetics of the product. Because of this, people often prefer to use metal packaging cans when giving gifts.

7. Hygiene and safety of metal cans

Due to the use of appropriate coatings, the metal packaging cans fully meet the requirements of food containers for hygiene and safety.

8. Waste and easy disposal of metal cans

Metal packaging cans can generally be recovered and recycled after use. It not only recovers resources, saves energy, but also eliminates environmental pollution. Even if the metal is scattered in the soil after rusting, it will not have a bad impact on the environment.

9. Metal cans have good shielding performance

The protective packaging of high-tech electronic equipment can no longer stay at the basic protective functions such as moisture, mildew, rust, and shock. When electromagnetic waves penetrate the sensitive electrical components in the equipment, their effect is very much like electrostatic discharge, which will cause the electrical components to fail and make the equipment unusable. The good shielding performance of metal packaging cans makes it anti-electromagnetic and effective protection of high-tech electronic equipment.

10. Metal cans are magnetic

Steel containers are magnetic, so they can be transported by magnetic force.

Advantages and disadvantages of plastic tanks

Features of plastic tanks:

      1. The maximum operating temperature cannot exceed 65℃, and the gloss is good

      2. Non-toxic, tasteless, and feel like wax. With good hygiene and safety, it can be directly used for food packaging.

      3. The plastic tank is light in weight, convenient for long-distance transportation of products, and can save transportation costs for food companies;

      4. Plastic jars are easier to carry than glass bottles, and are more suitable for young people's mentality of seeking new things.

      5. There is greater flexibility in the selection of plastic tank type and capacity, and products with different bottle sizes and different capacities can be produced, thus enriching the variety of product designs.

      4. The safety of plastic tanks is better than that of glass tanks

Disadvantages of plastic cans:

      1. The impact of plastic cans on the shelf life of food: after filling, carbon dioxide loss is 10%-15%, and oxygen entering the plastic can aggravates the aging of the food. Plastic cans need to improve their protection against ultraviolet rays.

      2. No matter what kind of organic synthetic material is used, a small amount of organic monomers will inevitably appear. When the inner wall of the plastic tank is in contact with food for a long time, a small amount of organic matter must be dissolved.

      3. Plastic cans have poor adaptability to food filling equipment. For example, plastic tanks cannot be washed with a bottle washer, but can only be washed with high-pressure sterile water. The asepticity of the bottle cannot be guaranteed (especially for the bottle that is stored for a long time); the heat-labile plastic cans cannot pass through the pasteurizer, which has high requirements for the sterility of the packaging workshop. The labeling method of plastic cans is very different from the current labeling methods of metal cans, and the labeling machine needs to be modified.

      In addition, when using plastic food cans, we must pay attention to some problems.

      Plastic cans are not resistant to high temperatures, can not be exposed to the sun, can not be placed behind a car, and can not be placed in high temperatures. Because plastic cans release harmful substances to human body after high temperature. Over time, it will cause harm to the human body, and in severe cases, it may cause cancer. In the current market, metal cans are more widely used than plastic cans. Metal packaging containers have certain advantages, which are mainly manifested in good chemical stability, high temperature resistance, good quality of internal coatings or good craftsmanship to ensure that the beverage does not taste. So for everyone's health, we should choose metal cans for food packaging instead of plastic cans.