Plain packaging could soon become an issue for the food industry. Already today, Hoffmann Neopac offers compliant, child-resistant tins.

Governments worldwide have declared war on the consumption of tobacco, alcohol and sugar, which is held responsible for a multitude of diseases of civilization and costs health systems millions every year. With the so-called standard packaging, the possibilities for packaging design for tobacco products could be further fundamentally restricted, and also for alcoholic beverages, beverages containing sugar and certain foodstuffs the WTO demanded plain packaging.

Soon, the confectionery industry could also be affected by these efforts. Reason enough to familiarise oneself with the possibilities of a future uniform packaging that nevertheless offers enough space for individualisation and information.

Another trend in confectionery is gummy bears and sweets enriched with active ingredients. In the USA, confectionery is provided with substances derived from hemp such as cannabidiol (CBD) and offered in transparent packaging. Legislation in this area will also be increasingly effective. Since children cannot tell the “normal” gummy bears from the “enriched” ones, the packaging must be child-resistant and thus prevent unwanted access to the product.

Hoffmann Neopac, based in Thun/Switzerland, offers the confectionery industry cans made of tinplate and PP that are suitable for foodstuffs. These cans will take into account any regulatory requirements that may arise and still enable brand differentiation. The opaque cans with a filling volume of 50, 100 and 500 ml offer excellent aroma protection. They are ISO-certified child-safe. Even after first opening, the lid can only be removed by pressing and turning simultaneously. For children up to the age of 51 months, it has been proven that this push/turn closure cannot be opened.

In addition, the tins are fully recyclable. For tests and labelling purposes, the manufacturer keeps small quantities available from stock, but large quantities are also possible, with individual offset printing and embossing finishing.

Sheet metal is also a good alternative to plastic packaging. In Germany, for example, 91 % of tinplate consumer packaging is recycled every year. This is the highest value of all packaging materials. Metal is the most recycled and easiest to recycle material currently available. It is by far the best choice for packaging a wide range of foods, including sweets.