More than 3bn cans will have used coating by end of 2015 – PPG

The firm said it gets this figure from customers who have commercialized cans with Nutrishield Solista and feedback provided and it can establish the number of cans produced with the quantity of coatings sold to customers.

It launched Nutrishield new-generation coatings for the food-can industry and Nutrishield Solista internal protective spray coatings for drawn and wall-ironed food cans in the US last month and over the last year in Europe.

Coatings comply with North American and European regulations and are food contact compliant, certified by independent institutes including Nehring and SQTS who review the formulations and test products according to EU, US FDA or other requirements.

Coating protection​

Valérie Gamelin, global communications and EMEA marketing manager of PPG Packaging Coatings, said coatings can be considered as protective barriers as they protect the food from the can and the can from the food. ​

“Without a coating between the two, the food could attack the can causing damage such as perforation corrosion,” ​she told FoodProductionDaily.

“Conversely without the coating present, the can could impart an off flavour to the food contents.​

“These coatings are designed for existing canmaking equipment. They can be introduced to can-makers’ lines that use standard equipment without major modifications.”​

PPG Packaging Coatings’ regulatory specialists screen the raw materials used in developing coating technologies, said Gamelin.

“Our products are formulated according to the latest European and/or American regulatory requirements, including national legislations such as the one applicable in France regarding the ban of BPA containing coatings in contact with food, as well as California Proposition 65.​

Nutrishield Solista technology – Bisphenol A non-intent (BPA-NI, or with no BPA intentionally added) spray coatings for drawn and wall-ironed food cans – is approved to pack ready meals, soups and infant foods such as milk.

It did not reveal what the coatings are made of when asked what is being used instead of BPA.

The spray coatings are suitable for low- to high-pH and fatty foods and have flavour-neutral properties to help affected products pass flavour tests, said the firm.

However, it added coatings can’t always be ‘invincible for pack performance’ in the case of very aggressive foods - such as gherkins in vinegar - where glass provides a longer shelf life than a coated can.

Milestones for NIA BPA ​

Gamelin said it has been preparing for the non-intentional addition of BPA from coatings since 2001 with many milestones since.

“The first major critical milestone was when the coating was found to have successful pack resistance (meaning not damaging the food or the can) from laboratory tests while adhering to governmental guidelines,” ​she said. ​

“Once PPG was satisfied with the coating pack performance, the next milestone was then to prepare the coating for manufacturing and once manufacturing feasibility was proven, PPG proceeded to the next milestone of trials at can-makers to produce enough cans for brand-owners to fill and return to can-makers for extensive testing.  ​

“The next milestone was to meet both can-makers and brand-owners’ requirements for pack performance.”​ ​

The coating technology fulfils can-makers and brand-owner’s needs due to rising consumer sentiment against food cans containing BPA coatings and increasing scrutiny by non-governmental organizations which forced large brand owners to switch to BPA-NI coatings, said Gamelin.

“It is true that the EFSA and FDA have declared BPA as safe. Despite their statements, we have noticed an increased demand for non BPA containing coatings over the past months,” ​she said.

“One of the explanations to this is there has been coverage of BPA containing materials for months in media and social networks which to an extent has created popular consumer sentiment against can foods containing BPA coatings.” ​

PPG produces Nutrishield Solista coatings in vessels just for manufacturing BPA-NI spray.

The product line comprises the PPG4553 series, PPG4220 series and PPG4600 series, in gold, buff and grey versions.
PPG also offers a system for drawn and wall-ironed food cans, with BPA-NI PPG Washcoat (PPG5200 series), compatible with Nutrishield Solista internal spray coatings.