Creating effective traceability for food can fillers

Industry Canning

Since the first food canning factory opened in England in 1813, the can has remained one of the most established tamper-resistant packaging methods for preserving a variety of food stuffs. Although new packaging materials have become popular, the global market for metal food cans continues to grow and is projected to reach 102.5 billion units by 20191.

Despite being an established sector, the canning industry continues to present its own set of unique challenges for both can manufacturers and fillers, especially when it comes to applying traceability codes efficiently in harsh production environments. These challenges are encountered once the cans are filled, such as when they are placed through a varietyof retort (steam sterilisation) processes to ensure that the canned contents are cooked and sterile so that the required long shelf life can be attained.

With so many canned units being processed in a single planton a daily basis, the need for an effective and efficient coding solution is a priority. While there are a number of coding technologies available, food canning is mostly reliant on the strengths of continuous ink jet coding (CIJ). Thanks to its easeof use and installation, as well as an extreme versatility, CIJ isthe coding technology of choice for canning applications.