Sugar confectioners finding heart with tin packaging, says Crown

Speaking to ConfectioneryNews at the International Sweets and Biscuits Fair (ISM) last month Stefan Günther-Balbon, specialty packaging North West Europe at Crown, said: “Companies are thinking more about using tins in future. The reason for that is the premium effect you can add to the packaging by using metal.​

“We have fantastic opportunities to decorate the metal – we have different vanishes: glossy, matte vanishes, we can add a very textile image to this as well – you can feel them.”​

He said confectionery was traditionally packed in metal and since the pack material was still used today, it had stood the test of time. “Quality Street started in metal packaging and is still in metal packaging. This is clear confirmation that metal packaging works well. From our point of view it’s one of the best substrate with which to protect your goods.”​

Chupa Chups and Swizzels choose tin​

The Crown packaging expert said tin was also moving into new sub-sectors in confectionery beyond biscuits and seasonal chocolates.

“If you go more to the candy business with sugar based products, we do see more of them in metal packaging,”​ said Günther-Balbon.

He said that Perfetti Van Melle had been using tin packaging for its Chupa Chups brand for around 10 years, while UK firm Swizzels has started to use metal packaging more recently for example for its Sweet Shop favorites assortment.

Paying the price​

But will tin cost confectioners more? “It depends,”​ said Günther-Balbon. “We see in the market the perception that metal is more expensive, but this is true just to a certain degree. We cannot ignore that metal is an expensive raw material, but if you compare really an egg with an egg you will see if you uptune a paper carton to the same image you have with our tins it will cost almost the same.”​

He added that there were some restrictions on shapes, but said tin could print almost anything and could support high gravure HD printing and holograms.

“The good thing with metal is that you can use it in different areas. You can use it for giving you a high protection for your product and you can get a fresh image to your product by using for example closing systems,” ​he said.

For example, Günther-Balbon said the metal box could by lined with foil on top to protect the goods and to covey freshness.