Crown is confident that the concept will be a success, as they offer medium and small producers high-performance lids without the need to invest in customised metal closures.
"Medium and smaller scale producers of jams and honey can now cap off their jars with extremely attractive closures specifically suited to the product," said Thierry Lainez, European business development manager, of Crown Closures Europe.
"Using these premium quality metal closures, they can dramatically enhance their products' shelf appeal and usability at a relatively low cost."
The new closures come in two distinct designs. Custom designed for honey,Maya, is a gold-coloured closure decorated in a honeycomb pattern with drawings of honeybees. The colours for the background and drawings were selected to coordinate with the product and accentuate its natural appeal.
Melifruits is a collage of brilliantly-coloured fruits on a light blue background, offering jam makers a look that is supposed to represent freshness and purity.
Maya and Melifruit closures are available in 63- and 82-mm RTS (Regular Twist Step) and RSB (Regular Step Button). The button in the centre of the closure performs as a safety barrier, popping up when the seal is broken. Crown claims that the closures also offer excellent reclosability.
Crown claims that both of these specially designed closures offer exceptional oxygen barrier performance for long shelf life. They are suitable for hot, cold, and aseptic filling processes and can be applied either by hand or machine. Crown manufactures the Maya and Melifruit closures at its facility in Aprilia, Italy.
Innovations in oxygen-sensitive packaging are coming on to the market all the time. US-based Graham Packaging for example has begun packaging fruit juices and other oxygen-sensitive drinks in single-serve PET (polyethylene terephthalate) Monosorb barrier bottles. These bottles are made from a resin blended with a modified formulation of BP's Amosorb DFC additive.
"This development now makes it possible for oxygen-sensitive beverage products to be packed in mono-layer barrier containers," said George Peterson, a business director in Graham Packaging's Food & Beverage Business Unit. "Monosorb bottles enlarge and enhance our existing arsenal of barrier technologies and allow us to be even more flexible in how we respond in meeting varying customer needs."
Unlike other barrier technologies, which involve adding a coating or creating multiple layers, the barrier in Graham Packaging's Monosorb bottle is achieved by blending Amosorb DFC into the PET resin immediately prior to moulding using Graham Packaging's proprietary process. Peterson said the barrier level in Monosorb bottles can be metered by percentage to customise protection on an as-needed basis.
Monosorb bottles can be recycled the same way as any other PET container and can be re-used for food-grade packaging. BP's Amosorb DFC additive has received the Champions for Change Award from the Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers.