Call for action about metal packaging for food products by Venu Ayyar

Venu Ayyar is a qualified packaging and printing professional with more than 40 years of experience in business. Now visiting faculty at SIES School of Packaging, IIP, ITCFSAN and Khalsa College, he is also the associate director of Metal Container Manufacturers’ Association.

Both aluminium and tinplate are recyclable and reusable and hence absolutely environment-friendly. The combination of rigidity and cushioning quality makes metal packaging strong to bear the impact of transportation.

Metals are not hazardous to human health, which is another important aspect considered for food packaging. Additionally, metal packaging materials have lower global warming potential and due to their magnetic properties helps in easier segregation.

Metal packaging is a good packaging medium for food products. Tinplate containers are coated with protective lacquers to prevent metal–food interaction and migration of metal components.

Few days ago, the FSSAI passed an order that food vendors should not use newspapers to pack food as "The ink used in newspapers contains various bioactive materials with known negative health effects, which can contaminate food and lead to health issues when ingested." Metal containers do not allow migration of ink, gas, moisture or air, thereby keeping the food inside absolutely safe, fresh and maintaining the original aroma for a long time.

To cite an example – "A can of food left by Sir John Franklin in the Arctic in 1845 was found to be still edible in 1939." Franklin's lost expedition was a failed British voyage of Arctic exploration led by Captain Sir John Franklin that departed England, United Kingdom in 1845 aboard two ships, HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, and was assigned to traverse the last unnavigated sections of the Northwest Passage in the Canadian Arctic.  The Franklin expedition tragedy slowly unfolded, with the deaths, over the next few years, of the entire ship's complement of 129 persons.

This brings us to the Metal Container Manufacturers’ Association (MCMA).

The MCMA is an all-India body of tinplate can manufacturers that caters to the issues of the MSME manufacturers with Government of India and other regulators. MCMA conducts seminars and awareness programmes for highlighting the advantages of metal packaging. In June 2023, MCMA conducted a seminar on "Metal: The eco-friendly packaging". A panel discussion was also held with the panel comprising a cross section of the industry, including a representative from a regulatory body.

Today, metal containers are being used for packaging milk powder, baby food, coffee powder, spices, mango pulp, beverages, chocolates, cookies, fish and many other products. With food products manufacturers realising the advantages of metal packaging, the use of metal containers will increase in the times to come.