Describe the raw materials or food products that are suitable for each type of cans.

1. Lacquer Cans
Lacquers are widely used to protect metal packaging from corrosion. The coatings formed upon
drying of canning lacquers must be able to withstand the conditions under which canned foods are
sterilized (about 120C) and be resistant to the long-term action of protein and acid mediums, and
they must not contain substances harmful to health or that change the appearance, smell, or color of
the food product. These requirements are best met by coatings of lacquers based on synthetic resins.
Therefore, the type of food products is dependent on the type of lacquers used.
Table 1: Metal Can Lacquers and their typical uses
Resin
Sulfide Stain Resistance
Oleo- resinous
Poor
Sulfur resistant oleo resinous
Good
(added zinc oxide)
Phenolic
Very good
Epoxy-phenolics
Poor
Epoxy- phenolics with zinc
oxide
Aluminized epoxy-phenolics
Vinyl Solution
Acrylic

Good

Polybutadiene

Very good (if zinc)

Very good
N/A
Very good (pigmented)

Typical Uses
Acid Fruits
Vegetables and Soups
Meat, fish, soups & Vegetables
Meat, fish, soups, vegetables,
beer, beverages (top coat)
Vegetables & Soups
Meat Products
Beers & Beverages
Vegetables, Soups & prepared
foods containing sulfide stainers
st
Beer and beverage (1 coat).
Vegetables and soups if with
ZnO.

2. Tin-plated (ETP)cans
Tin plated in sufficient thickness, provides good corrosion-resisting properties to steel, and is
suitable for direct contact with many products. For instance (uncoated):
White Fruits: Peaches, apricots, pineapple and pears
Tomato based products: Tomatoes in brine, beans in tomato sauce, tomato puree & tomato paste.
Vegetable products: Mushrooms & Asparagus
Acidic Food Products: Desirable as it eliminates oxygen but it causes discoloration of the contents.
Clear Juices: Pears, peaches, pineapples and yellow lumps.
Oils: Vegetable oils (large catering tins)
Dry foods: Milk powder, instant baby food, sweets, roasted nuts, biscuits, teas and etc.
3. Tin-Free Steel (TFS) cans
Sometime referred as electrolytic chromium coated steel, is created by electrolytically coating black
plate with a thin layer of chrome oxide. TFS food can ends need both internal and external coatings
for protection. The function of a chromium coating is to prevent atmospheric oxidation or sulphur
staining of the steel by foodstuffs and to improve lacquer adhesion. Thus, the internal type of
lacquer (Table 1) used determines the type of food products suitable. One example of TFS cans with
coating:

Steel cans coated with a 'baked-on oleo resinous c-enamel Canned Bean
Black Turtle beans, Dark red kidney beans, Garbanzo (chick peas), navy beans, pinto
beans, Cannellini (large white kidney) Beans and other bean products.

4. Aluminum Cans
Aluminum cans are usually used for beverages, and they normally have a different coating to those
beverages made from ETP. Generally, aluminum cans are widely used in the beverage and beer
industries. However, different types of coating of aluminum cans determine the type of suitable
products. (Refer to table 1 ). Mainly, soft drinks are extremely acidic, therefore, high acid soft drinks
could result in corrosion of the can. Soft drinks are more aggressive than beers, thus higher film weights
are used. Beer presents problems of its own in that its flavor suffers by contact with many coating
systems and particularly by the slightest trace of contamination with iron or tin. The internal lacquer
prevents migration of aluminum.

References

Food packaging technology

By R.Coles, D. McDowell & M.J Kirwan.
Handbook of Food Engineering, Second Edition
Edited by Dennis R . Heldman and Daryl B . Lund
Food and Beverage Packaging Technology
By Richard Coles, Mark J. Kirwan