Can packaging machines and food hygiene

It was on 6 February 2005 when, on page 10 of the Italian newspaper 'Corriere della Sera', an announcement appeared from the Ministry of Health (Department of Prevention and Communication - Office of the Commissioner ad acta) stated whta follows:

"Drinks marketed in cans whose opening is by means of a 'stay on tab' or retractable tab device, like the consumption of any other foodstuff, require compliance with hygiene conditions, since any contamination of the tab may lead, after tearing, to the introduction of microbial agents into the drink. Therefore, without prejudice to the fact that cans must be stored in a clean environment and external surfaces must be kept clean, consumers are advised:

• to pay close attention to the condition of the packaging;
• that before opening the container or can with a retractable or pull-tab opening device, it is good hygiene practice to clean the opening area;
• to discard or return the soiled container to the seller;
• that it generally appears more hygienic to consume drinks after pouring them into a container suitable for use."

Years have passed since this and so other articles that immediately confronted us with a real danger: what was seen as a moment of relaxation, drinking a canned soft drink, could turn into an endless circle of contamination by microbial agents. Then the Covid, the pandemic, the lockdown, Italy closed within its natural borders made of sea and mountains, the world closed in from country to country, a single fear that united everyone: the transmission of a virus that brought the planet to its knees, causing 6,938,353 deaths. Here, one of the many problems we have been living with for years but which everyone, or almost everyone, seems to ignore: drinking from cans is not only dangerous, it is also unhygienic.

FOOD HYGIENE AND CAN PACKAGING: AN OVERVIEW

If in 2005 the Italian Newspaper "Corriere della Sera" provided the Ministry of Health with a space in which, like a good father in the family, reminded us of the good practices to follow before drinking our favourite drink in a can, the problem of opening cans and the consequent contamination had already been addressed in 1999, when Codacons (Coordination group for associations for the protection of the environment and of the rights of users and consumers) had appealed to the Lazio State TAR (Regional Administrative Tribunal of Lazio) asking the health administration for a measure to protect the health of consumers by modifying the traditional 'stay-on-tab' system for opening soft drinks' cans. Both the Regional Administrative Court of Lazio and the Council of State accepted Codacons' requests but little or nothing was done, just as when the issue came back into focus in 2005. After 15 years, this problem is now more serious than ever as the whole world grapples with a health crisis characterised by the spread of Covid-19. During the pandemic, doubts about the safety of consuming canned drinks became increasingly well-founded and the literature on the subject also began to reassert itself.

A 2018 Anglo-Saxon study looked in particular at cleanliness, the extent of bacterial contamination of hands and their persistence in stores. This study found that less than 200 cans analysed prior to hand contact showed the presence of protein in 46% of them, 31% of which were in a sanitary state and at an average risk level, while the average in a person is just under 22%. When exposed to hands contaminated with E.Coli, present on unwashed hands after going to the toilet, canned food contains bacteria in 50% of cases when hands are wet and 30% of cases when hands are dry. Normally, the bacteria survive up to 14 days.

There is a lot of information on this sensitive topic, as well as misinformation that has been circulating for many years. That there may be a risk at the time of bottling, in 2023, seems very unlikely; that in the logistical stages after delivery, at distribution centres and wholesalers, the risk of contamination increases is very likely. The risk is moderate in the retail trade, where different products are sold on the shelves, and in the small independent trade, and becomes high in mass and commercial catering, where the hands of many different people come into contact with the can.

FOOD HYGIENE AND CAN PACKAGING: ECOCAP'S AND TOPSYL FOR BEVERAGE COMPANIES AND CONSUMERS

While many fake news about illnesses and hospitalisations due to the consumption of contaminated canned food have been debunked in the past, the need to protect the large contact zone between the mouth and the point of spillage of canned food and liquids, especially in relation to all post-distribution processing steps, is becoming increasingly central. With a patent filed in 2001, Ecocap's and Topsyl entered the debate on the safety of canned beverages with an eye on environmental sustainability. Product safety, consumer safety at the point of consumption and environmental friendliness: the revolutionary patent filed by Ecocap' s sets a new standard in can packaging machines, on the side of the producer and the consumer. A complete, ready-to-use system applicable to all types and shapes of canned beverages, Topsyl is a seal placed on the can opening which, thanks to its unique technology, is much more than a simple safety measure. In particular, Topsyl:

• protects the can as soon as it is filled, preserving the product, the consumer and the producer;
• is a 'second skin' of aluminium that adheres to the can and guarantees the complete sealing of the can surface on the opening side until consumed;
• it does not allow moisture to form between the protective layer and the can, thus preventing the creation of mould and the development of bacterial flora;
• is tested for immersion in water and ice and for resistance to high temperatures, up to 60°C, allowing the cans to be used in vending machines;
• is environmentally friendly and 100 per cent recyclable; the packaging is fixed to the can, made of aluminium and is recyclable;
• transforms the top of the can into a targeted and differentiated communication medium for market, distribution channel and customer.

Integrating an Ecocap's can packaging machine into the production line of beverage producers is a unique and unmissable breakthrough, a new way to implement corporate marketing strategies with Topsyl's can communication!

For more info:

Ecocap's

Via A.Modigliani, 13, 40033 Casalecchio di Reno, Bologna - ITALY

Phone +39 (051) 29.86.111

Email [email protected]

Website https://www.ecocaps.com/en - https://topsyl.it/en