Against the backdrop of the rapid development of the food industry, the continuous upgrading of consumer demand, and the increasing improvement of the public safety emergency response system, canned food—as a food form that is durable, easy to carry, and retains nutrients well—has seen its packaging industry undergo diversified development and transformation. Canned food packaging has long surpassed the basic function of "simply wrapping and protecting," becoming a core link influencing product competitiveness, consumer experience, safety compliance, and the coordinated development of upstream and downstream industries. This article will systematically explore current trends in canned food packaging development, detail the characteristics and applications of mainstream canned food packaging materials, summarize related industries such as printing and labeling involved in the packaging process, deeply compare the differences between glass and tinplate canned food packaging, and comprehensively present the current status and development trajectory of the canned food packaging industry. It aims to provide a comprehensive reference for industry professionals, buyers, and related practitioners, while also adapting to SEO optimization requirements, covering core and long-tail keywords, and helping content accurately reach the target audience.

I. Current Trends in Canned Food Packaging Development

With consumer upgrades, stricter environmental policies, technological empowerment, and diversified application scenarios, canned food packaging is exhibiting five core trends: "green, intelligent, convenient, personalized, and compliant." Each trend is linked to changes in upstream and downstream industries and has given rise to new market demands and technological innovations.

Green Trend: Low-carbon and environmental protection have become an industry consensus, with recyclability as a core breakthrough.
Under the guidance of the "dual carbon" goals and the increasing global environmental awareness, green and environmentally friendly canned food packaging has become an inevitable direction for industry development and a key long-tail keyword of concern to consumers. Problems with traditional canned food packaging, such as material waste, difficulty in degradation, and imperfect recycling systems, are gradually being replaced by new environmentally friendly solutions. On the one hand, packaging materials are transforming towards degradable, recyclable, and reusable options, such as lightweight metal cans, reusable glass jars, and bio-based composite material cans, reducing the environmental pollution caused by packaging waste; on the other hand, production processes are upgrading towards low-carbon practices, such as using energy-saving printing, solvent-free compounding, and environmentally friendly inks, reducing energy consumption and pollutant emissions during the production process.
Data shows that by 2025, the recycling rate of tinplate cans in China will exceed 92%, 11 percentage points higher than the EU level during the same period, making it one of the core choices for green canned food packaging due to its high recyclability. Meanwhile, 82% of young consumers are willing to pay a 10%-15% premium for recyclable packaging, further promoting the market adoption of green canned food packaging. In addition, the concept of "minimalist packaging" is gradually penetrating the canned food industry, reducing unnecessary packaging layers and decorations, which not only lowers packaging costs but also achieves environmental protection goals, especially in categories such as emergency and outdoor canned foods.

Intelligent Trends: Technology Empowerment, Enabling Packaging Traceability and Safety Control
With the popularization of the Internet of Things, big data, and laser technology, intelligent canned food packaging has become an important tool for enhancing product competitiveness, especially for high-end canned foods and emergency canned foods that require high safety standards. The core of intelligent packaging is to achieve "full traceability, real-time monitoring, and safety warnings." By adding QR codes, RFID chips, and temperature and humidity sensing labels to the packaging, consumers can scan to inquire about the canned food's raw materials, processing technology, production date, test reports, and transportation routes, achieving complete transparency "from farm to table." Companies can use the labels to monitor temperature and humidity changes during transportation and storage, promptly detect abnormalities, and prevent product spoilage due to improper storage.
For example, in emergency canned food packaging, some companies use temperature and humidity sensing labels. If the canned food encounters high temperature and high humidity environments during storage, the label will change color, reminding users that the product may have safety hazards; high-end meat canned foods use RFID chips to achieve product anti-counterfeiting and traceability, preventing counterfeit and shoddy products from entering the market. At the same time, intelligent packaging can also provide an "interactive experience," such as using QR codes to link to product cooking tutorials and brand stories, enhancing consumer experience and brand recognition.

Convenience Trends: Adapting to Diverse Scenarios, Enhancing Consumer Experience
The diversification of consumption scenarios is driving canned food packaging towards convenience and user-friendliness, focusing on addressing pain points such as "inconvenient opening, inconvenient carrying, and inconvenient storage." Traditional canned foods often use metal cans, which require special tools to open and are difficult to reseal after opening, causing many inconveniences for consumers. Currently, innovations in convenient packaging are mainly focused on three aspects: First, optimizing opening methods, such as using easy-tear lids, pull-ring lids, and screw caps, which require no special tools and can be opened with a gentle pull or twist. These designs also allow for resealing after opening, facilitating the storage of unfinished canned goods; Second, lightweight specifications, introducing small-capacity, portable canned food packaging, such as 100g-200g single-serving cans, suitable for outdoor adventures, office snacks, and emergency reserves, making them easy to carry and consume; Third, multi-functional integration, such as combining canned food packaging with cutlery and heating devices, resulting in self-heating cans and cans with integrated cutlery, meeting consumers' needs in situations without open flames or utensils, and proving particularly popular in outdoor and emergency scenarios.
For example, the outdoor food market is projected to exceed 80 billion yuan in 2025, with camping and hiking contributing over 60% of the consumption. Canned food, due to its "portability, long shelf life, and ready-to-eat" characteristics, has become the fastest-growing segment in the outdoor market. "Small packaging and easy opening" have become the core innovation points for outdoor canned food packaging, with related product sales increasing by 47% year-on-year, accounting for 52% of total outdoor canned food sales.

Personalization Trend: Catering to Niche Groups and Creating Differentiated Competitiveness
With the younger and more diverse consumer base, personalized canned food packaging has become key to brand success. Different consumer groups have significantly different needs. Young people prioritize the aesthetics and trendiness of packaging, while middle-aged and elderly consumers focus on practicality and simplicity. High-end consumers value the texture and quality of the packaging, and emergency reserves prioritize durability and airtightness. Brands are launching differentiated packaging designs and specifications for different niche groups, creating exclusive labels.
For example, trendy canned food targeting young consumers uses simple and stylish packaging designs, paired with personalized slogans and trendy patterns, suitable for social media sharing; imported canned food for high-end consumers uses high-quality metal or glass cans with exquisite printing and decoration to highlight the product's premium quality; and canned food for emergency reserves uses durable, airtight metal cans, with bright and easily identifiable colors for quick retrieval in emergencies. Simultaneously, the demand for customized packaging is gradually increasing, including corporate customization, holiday customization, and gift customization, further enriching the personalized scenarios for canned food packaging.

Compliance Trend: Keeping pace with policy requirements to ensure food safety
As a food category, the compliance of canned food packaging directly relates to food safety and is the bottom line for industry development. In recent years, regulations on food packaging have become increasingly stringent both domestically and internationally. For example, the new regulations on bisphenol A (BPA) control issued by the EU in 2025 clearly stipulate that the migration amount of BPA in canned food packaging materials must strictly comply with the detection limit of 1 μg/kg (1 ppb), and require companies to provide complete compliance declaration documents covering the entire supply chain. China is also continuously improving relevant standards for food packaging, imposing higher requirements on the safety, hygiene, and environmental protection of canned food packaging materials. It prohibits the use of toxic, harmful, and non-compliant packaging materials, and standardizes the processes and materials for packaging printing and labeling to ensure that the packaging does not contaminate the food.
Currently, compliance has become one of the core competencies of canned food packaging companies. Companies need to keep pace with domestic and international policy changes, strengthen the testing and control of packaging materials, optimize production processes, and ensure that products meet relevant standards to avoid affecting product export and market circulation due to compliance issues.

II. Mainstream Canned Food Packaging Materials

The choice of canned food packaging materials directly affects the shelf life, safety, taste, appearance, and cost of canned food. Different materials have significantly different characteristics and are suitable for different types and scenarios of canned food. Currently, canned food packaging materials are mainly divided into four categories: metal materials, glass materials, plastic materials, and composite materials. Among them, metal materials (mainly tin and aluminum) and glass materials are the most widely used, while plastic materials and composite materials are mostly used for niche categories or new types of canned food packaging. The following details the characteristics, applications, advantages, and disadvantages of various materials, focusing on the key long-tail keyword: canned food packaging material selection techniques.

1. Metal Materials: The traditional mainstream for canned food packaging, suitable for various categories
Metal materials are the most widely used materials in canned food packaging. Thanks to their excellent sealing, barrier properties, and durability, they have become the preferred packaging material for various canned foods such as meat, fish, beans, fruits, and vegetables. Currently, there are two main types of metal materials commonly used in canned food packaging: tin-plated steel (tinplate) and aluminum. Tin-plated steel is the most widely used, and is what we commonly refer to as "tin can packaging."

(1) Tin-plated steel (tinplate): Traditional core material with outstanding cost-effectiveness
The core material of tin can packaging is tinplate, which is tin-plated steel sheet. It is made by coating a thin layer of tin onto the surface of cold-rolled steel sheet, combining the strength of steel with the corrosion resistance of tin. Through processes such as stamping, forming, sealing, and sterilization, it is made into various specifications of canned food packaging.

• Characteristics: Excellent sealing performance, effectively isolating air, moisture, light, and microorganisms, preventing oxidation and spoilage of the canned contents, extending the shelf life of canned food, usually up to 2-5 years; high mechanical strength, impact and compression resistance, facilitating transportation and storage, especially suitable for bulk transportation and emergency reserves; high temperature and high pressure resistance, able to withstand the high temperature and high pressure sterilization process during canned food processing (usually 121℃/30min) without deformation or damage; the inner wall can be coated with food-grade epoxy resin or organosol to prevent food from reacting with the metal (such as acid corrosion, sulfide blackening), ensuring food safety. With appropriate coating, the metal ion content in canned food can be controlled below 0.1mg/kg, far below the safety standard limit.

• Applications: Extremely wide range of applications, covering almost all types of canned food, especially suitable for canned food requiring long-term storage and bulk transportation, such as meat cans (beef, pork, chicken), fish cans (tuna, salmon, sardines), bean cans (soybeans, mung beans, peas), fruit and vegetable cans (yellow peaches, oranges, mushrooms), and emergency canned food. Emergency and outdoor canned foods often use tinplate packaging, primarily due to its durability, sealing, and storage characteristics.

• Advantages: Good sealing performance, long shelf life, high mechanical strength, wide applicability, recyclable, and cost-effective, meeting the packaging needs of most types of canned food and conforming to green and environmentally friendly trends.

• Disadvantages: Heavier weight, inconvenient to carry, especially unsuitable for single-serving and portable scenarios; inconvenient to open, traditional tin cans require a special can opener, although improved designs such as easy-open lids and pull-tab lids exist, their cost is relatively high; weaker aesthetic appeal, printing and decorative effects are not as good as glass or plastic materials; long-term storage or improper storage may lead to rusting of the can body, affecting the product's appearance and safety.

(2) Aluminum Material: Lightweight option, suitable for high-end and convenient scenarios
Aluminum can packaging material is a new type of metal material that emerged after tin-plated steel. It is made from thin aluminum alloy sheets through stamping, forming, and sealing processes. Its core advantages are lightweight and high aesthetic appeal.

• Characteristics: Lightweight, 30%-50% lighter than tin-plated steel, easy to carry and transport, reducing transportation costs; excellent sealing and barrier properties, effectively isolating air, moisture, and light, extending the shelf life of canned goods to 1-3 years; high temperature and high pressure resistance, adaptable to high-temperature and high-pressure sterilization processes; smooth and flat appearance, strong plasticity, easy for printing and decoration, creating a high-end packaging effect; recyclable, environmentally friendly, and lower recycling costs than tin-plated steel.

• Applications: Mainly suitable for high-end canned goods, portable canned goods, and beverage cans, such as high-end canned fish (tuna), canned fruits, energy drinks, and beverage cans (canned juice, canned beer), especially suitable for convenient scenarios such as outdoor activities, office use, and travel.

• Advantages: Lightweight, convenient to carry, high aesthetic appeal, strong plasticity, recyclable, suitable for high-end and convenient scenarios, meeting the needs of young consumers.

• Disadvantages: Lower mechanical strength than tin-plated steel, poor impact and compression resistance, prone to deformation and damage during transportation and storage; higher cost than tin-plated steel, relatively lower cost-effectiveness; the inner wall also needs to be coated with a protective layer, otherwise it is prone to react with acidic and alkaline foods, affecting food safety; not reusable, can only be recycled after single use, unlike glass materials which are reusable.

2. Glass Packaging Materials: A High-End, Healthy Choice for Niche Premium Products
Glass canning packaging materials are made from high-borosilicate glass and ordinary glass, processed through melting, molding, annealing, and sealing. Their core advantages are non-toxicity, transparency, and reusability, making them the preferred packaging material for high-end and health-conscious canned goods.

• Features: Extremely high chemical inertness; the main component of glass, silicon dioxide (70-75%), hardly reacts with any food components at room temperature, making it non-toxic and harmless, and preventing contamination of food. It preserves the original taste, nutrition, and flavor of the canned contents to the greatest extent, especially suitable for sensitive foods such as baby food, high-end jams, and juices; transparent and visible, allowing consumers to directly observe the color and condition of the canned contents, enhancing product trust; reusable, can be cleaned and reused for storing food, condiments, etc., aligning with green and environmentally friendly trends; high and low temperature resistance, suitable for high-temperature sterilization processes and refrigeration, with strong temperature adaptability (high-borosilicate glass can withstand temperatures up to 400℃); good sealing performance, when paired with metal screw caps or vacuum sealing caps (such as the "press-type" sealing caps of wide-mouth bottles), it effectively isolates air and moisture, extending the shelf life of canned goods to 1-3 years.

• Applications: Primarily suitable for high-end, health-conscious, and niche canned goods categories, such as high-end fruit preserves (yellow peaches, cherries, strawberries), jams, honey, baby food, and traditional Chinese medicine preparations. It is especially suitable for consumers who prioritize health and pursue high quality, often used in family-sized packaging or gift boxes, with common specifications ranging from 250-1000ml.

• Advantages: Non-toxic and harmless, healthy and safe, transparent and visible, reusable, environmentally friendly, excellent taste preservation, suitable for high-end health-conscious scenarios, and enhances the perceived quality of the product.

• Disadvantages: Heavy weight, 3-5 times heavier than tin-plated materials, inconvenient to carry, high transportation costs, and a breakage rate of 2-3% during transportation; low mechanical strength, fragile, not resistant to impact or compression, requiring extra care during storage and use; relatively shorter shelf life compared to tin cans, and easily affected by light; if exposed to sunlight for a long time, the contents of the can may oxidize and change color, affecting taste and appearance; higher cost, complex production process, and high breakage rate further increase costs; inconvenient to open, mostly using screw caps, which, although not requiring special tools, can be difficult to open when tightly sealed.

3. Plastic Materials: A niche and convenient option, suitable for specific scenarios
Plastic materials are less commonly used in canned food packaging, mainly made from food-grade plastics (such as PET, PP, PE) through blow molding, injection molding, and sealing processes. The core advantages are lightweight, portability, and low cost, making them suitable for specific niche scenarios.

• Characteristics: Lightweight, convenient to carry, low cost, simple production process; good sealing and barrier properties, sufficient for short-term storage; strong plasticity, can be made into various shapes and specifications of packaging, convenient for printing and decoration; impact resistant and not easy to break, safer during use and transportation.

• Applications: Mainly suitable for portable, short-term storage canned food categories, such as single-serving fruit and vegetable cans, porridge cans, soup cans, and emergency compressed biscuit cans, especially suitable for convenient scenarios such as outdoor activities, travel, and office use, as well as short-term emergency reserve scenarios.

• Advantages: Lightweight, convenient to carry, low cost, not easy to break, strong plasticity, suitable for specific convenient scenarios.

• Disadvantages: Sealing and barrier properties are not as good as metal or glass materials, and the shelf life is relatively short, usually only 6-12 months; poor high-temperature resistance, unable to adapt to high-temperature and high-pressure sterilization processes, can only be used for low-temperature sterilization or canned food categories that do not require sterilization; some plastic materials may release harmful substances (such as bisphenol A), especially in high-temperature and long-term storage conditions, posing certain safety hazards; poor environmental protection, most plastics are non-degradable, difficult to recycle, and easy to cause environmental pollution; not reusable, can only be discarded after single use.

4. Composite Materials: New environmentally friendly materials, with great future development potential
Canned composite material packaging is a new type of packaging material that has emerged in recent years. It is composed of two or more different materials (such as paper-aluminum composite, aluminum-plastic composite, paper-plastic composite), combining the advantages of various materials. Its core advantages are environmental protection, lightweight, and good sealing, which is an important development direction for canned packaging in the future.

• Characteristics: Combines the advantages of metal, plastic, paper, and other materials, with excellent sealing and barrier properties, which can extend the shelf life of canned food; light weight, easy to carry and transport, reducing transportation costs; good environmental protection, degradable and recyclable, reducing environmental pollution; strong plasticity, can be made into various shapes and specifications of packaging, convenient for printing and decoration; moderate cost, between metal materials and plastic materials, with outstanding cost-effectiveness.

• Applications: Currently mainly suitable for niche canned food categories, such as compressed food cans, soup cans, fruit and vegetable cans, etc. With the continuous maturity of technology, it is gradually penetrating into mainstream canned food categories such as meat and fish. Especially in emergency and outdoor canned food, the application of composite materials is gradually increasing. For example, the aluminum-plastic composite can used for milk powder packaging has a shelf life of up to 24 months, while the weight is only 1/3 of the tinplate can.

• Advantages: Environmental protection, lightweight, good sealing, strong plasticity, high cost-effectiveness, combining the advantages of various materials, suitable for various scenarios, and great development potential.

• Disadvantages: Complex production process, high technical threshold, and narrow application range at present; the mechanical strength is not as good as metal materials, and the impact and compression resistance are relatively poor; the recycling of some composite materials is difficult, and the recycling system needs to be further optimized; the safety of long-term storage needs to be further verified, and it has not been widely used in mainstream canned food categories yet.

III. Related Industries Involved in Canned Packaging

The production process of canned packaging is not a single link, but linked multiple upstream and downstream industries, forming a complete industrial chain. Among them, the canned packaging printing industry and the canned labeling industry are core related industries, directly affecting the appearance, identification, safety, and compliance of canned packaging; in addition, packaging material processing, sealing equipment, testing equipment, and other industries are also closely related to canned packaging, jointly supporting the development of the canned packaging industry. The following details the two core industries of printing and labeling, and briefly introduces other related industries, covering long-tail keywords such as canned packaging printing technology and canned labeling technology.

1. Core Related Industry 1: Canned Packaging Printing Industry
Canned packaging printing is the "aesthetic face" of canned packaging and the core link of brand communication and product identification. Its main function is to print product information, brand logos, patterns, warnings, etc. on the surface of canned packaging. It must not only ensure that the printing effect is beautiful and clear, but also ensure that the printing materials are safe and non-toxic, and comply with the compliance requirements of food packaging. The development of the canned packaging printing industry is closely related to the personalization and high-end trends of canned packaging, and printing technology and materials are also being continuously upgraded and optimized.

(1) Core Printing Technology: Adapt to different packaging materials, with different effects
The printing technology of canned packaging mainly depends on the type of packaging material. The printing technologies for different materials vary greatly. There are four core categories, which are suitable for different packaging materials such as metal, glass, plastic, and composite materials:

• Metal Canning Printing Technology: Mainly suitable for tin and aluminum canned packaging. The core technology is "metal printing technology," which is divided into lithographic printing (offset printing), letterpress printing, and gravure printing, among which lithographic printing (offset printing) is the most widely used. The process of metal printing is relatively complex. First, the surface of the metal plate needs to be treated (derusting, degreasing, phosphating) to ensure that the surface of the plate is smooth and clean, which is convenient for ink adhesion; then the ink is printed on the metal plate through a printing machine, and after drying and curing, the ink is ensured not to fall off or fade; finally, the printed metal plate is stamped and formed to make a canned package. The core requirements for metal canning printing are high temperature resistance, friction resistance, and strong corrosion resistance of the ink, because the canned food needs to go through high-temperature and high-pressure sterilization processes, and the printing pattern cannot fall off or fade during long-term storage due to friction or moisture. In addition, the EU's new BPA control regulations also put higher requirements on metal canning printing inks to ensure that harmful substances in the ink do not migrate to the food.

• Glass Canning Printing Technology: Mainly suitable for glass canning packaging. The core technologies are "screen printing" and "heat transfer printing." Screen printing is suitable for printing simple patterns and text on the glass surface. The printing effect is clear, the color is bright, the ink adhesion is strong, and it is not easy to fall off, suitable for mass production; heat transfer printing is suitable for printing complex patterns and gradient colors. The printing effect is delicate and exquisite, creating a high-end visual effect, suitable for high-end glass canning packaging. The core requirements for glass canning printing are non-toxic and harmless ink, and the ability to adapt to the high and low temperature resistance characteristics of glass without falling off or cracking due to temperature changes. At the same time, the printing of transparent glass cans also needs to take into account the "transparent and visible" characteristics. The printing pattern should not be too complex to avoid obscuring the canned contents.

• Plastic Canning Printing Technology: Mainly suitable for plastic canning packaging. The core technologies are "gravure printing" and "flexographic printing." Gravure printing is suitable for printing complex patterns and text, with bright colors, rich layers, and fast printing speed, suitable for mass production; flexographic printing is suitable for printing simple patterns and text, with low cost and good environmental protection, suitable for small and medium-sized mass production. The core requirements for plastic canning printing are good compatibility between the ink and plastic materials, strong adhesion, not easy to fall off, and the ink is non-toxic and harmless, meeting food-grade standards, and able to adapt to the impact resistance and non-fragile characteristics of plastics without cracking the printing pattern due to plastic deformation.

• Composite Material Canning Printing Technology: Mainly suitable for composite material canning packaging. The core technologies are "flexographic printing" and "gravure printing," combining the printing characteristics of plastic, paper, and aluminum. It is necessary to select appropriate printing technologies and inks according to the layers and materials of the composite material to ensure strong ink adhesion and non-falling off, while meeting environmental and safety requirements.

(2) Printing Materials: Safety and environmental protection become core requirements, gradually replacing traditional toxic materials
The ink, thinner, and other materials for canned packaging printing directly contact the surface of the canned package. If the materials are unqualified, they may release harmful substances and penetrate into the canned contents, affecting food safety. Therefore, food-grade canned printing ink has become the core demand of the industry and the development focus of the printing industry.
Traditional canned printing inks are mostly solvent-based inks, containing toxic and harmful substances such as benzene and toluene, which have certain safety hazards and poor environmental protection, and do not comply with the current green environmental protection trend. In recent years, printing materials have gradually transformed towards environmentally friendly and food-grade directions. Water-based ink and ultraviolet-cured ink (UV ink) have become the mainstream choices. Water-based ink uses water as a thinner, which is non-toxic, harmless, odorless, and environmentally friendly. It has strong ink adhesion and bright colors, suitable for printing most canned packaging materials; UV ink cures rapidly after ultraviolet irradiation, without solvent volatilization, has good environmental protection, strong ink wear resistance and corrosion resistance, and delicate printing effects, suitable for high-end canned packaging printing.
In addition, printing auxiliary materials (such as thinners and curing agents) are also gradually transforming towards environmentally friendly types, reducing the emission of toxic and harmful substances, ensuring the environmental protection and safety of the printing process, and meeting the compliance requirements of domestic and international food packaging.

(3) Industry Core Demand: Personalization, Compliance, and Environmental Protection
With the promotion of personalization, high-end, and compliance trends in canned packaging, the core demands of the canned packaging printing industry have also changed: first, the demand for personalized printing has increased, and brands need to launch differentiated printing patterns and designs according to different market segments and scenarios, such as trendy patterns for social media-favorite cans, exquisite designs for high-end cans, and eye-catching identifications for emergency cans, requiring printing enterprises to have flexible customized printing capabilities; second, compliance requirements have increased, and printing materials and processes need to comply with relevant standards for food packaging at home and abroad to ensure that harmful substances in the ink do not exceed the standard, and that printing information is complete and clear (such as production date, shelf life, ingredient list, warnings, etc.), avoiding compliance issues affecting product circulation; third, the demand for environmental protection has upgraded, and printing enterprises need to use environmentally friendly inks and thinners, optimize printing processes, and reduce energy consumption and pollutant emissions, in line with the green environmental protection trend.

2. Core Related Industry 2: Labeling Industry
Canned labeling is the "identity mark" of canned packaging. Its core function is to mark key information such as production date, shelf life, batch number, traceability code, and anti-counterfeiting code on the surface of canned packaging to ensure the traceability, safety, and compliance of canned food. It is an indispensable core part of canned packaging. Different from printing, labeling mainly marks dynamic information (such as production date and batch number), while printing mainly marks static information (such as brand logo and pattern). The core requirements for labeling technology are clarity, accuracy, non-detachment, high temperature resistance, and strong corrosion resistance, suitable for the production and storage scenarios of canned food.

(1) Core Labeling Technology: Adapt to different packaging materials and meet different scenario requirements
There are many types of canned labeling technologies. The appropriate labeling technology is mainly selected according to the type of packaging material and the requirements of the labeling information. There are four core categories, of which laser marking and inkjet coding are the most widely used:

• Laser Marking Technology: Currently the most widely used labeling technology, suitable for all canned packaging materials such as metal, glass, plastic, and composite materials. The core principle is to use the high temperature of the laser beam to form a permanent mark on the surface of the canned package. The mark is clear, accurate, not easy to fall off or fade, and has no ink pollution. It has good environmental protection and meets the safety requirements of food packaging. The advantages of laser marking technology are fast labeling speed, high precision, and automatic labeling can be realized, suitable for mass production. It can mark complex traceability codes and anti-counterfeiting codes, meeting the needs of intelligent canned packaging, such as marking traceability QR codes on the surface of tin and aluminum cans to realize full product traceability. Aiming at the characteristics of smooth surface, high hardness, and oxide layer on the surface of metal canning packaging, laser marking can form a physical etched mark without the risk of ink migration, conforming to food contact safety standards, and the mark can withstand high-temperature sterilization and acid-base corrosion, realizing permanent traceability. In addition, laser marking does not need to contact the can body, which can avoid incomplete marks caused by slight deformation of the can body in high-speed production, and adapt to special packaging forms such as special-shaped cans and sealed can lids.

• Inkjet Coding Technology: Mainly suitable for plastic, composite materials, and some metal canned packaging. The core principle is to use an inkjet printer to spray ink on the surface of the canned package to form temporary or permanent marks. The inkjet coding speed is fast and the cost is low, suitable for mass production. Simple information such as production date and batch number can be marked. Inkjet coding technology is divided into continuous inkjet and on-demand inkjet, of which continuous inkjet is the most widely used and suitable for high-speed production lines. Aiming at the characteristics of high-temperature sterilization and high-pressure cooking processes in canned food production, the inkjet ink needs to be optimized through high-temperature curing, which can withstand high-pressure cooking at 121℃ for 30 minutes. High-adhesion anti-retort ink or high-temperature color-changing ink can be used to remind customers that the product has been high-temperature heated, meeting the requirements of canned food processing technology. For example, the high-speed inkjet printer launched by Linx, with a printing speed of 1500 characters per second, adapts to the production rhythm of hundreds of cans per minute, supports synchronous printing of production date, batch code, traceability QR code, and other information, and is equipped with a high-precision positioning induction system, which can accurately capture the rotation or translation position of the can, realizing circular printing of the can body or point printing of the can bottom.

• Embossing Labeling Technology: Mainly suitable for metal canned packaging (tin and aluminum). The core principle is to use the pressure of the embossing machine to press uneven marks on the surface of the metal can. The mark is clear and not easy to fall off, and there is no ink pollution. It is suitable for marking simple information such as batch number and production date. The advantages of embossing labeling technology are low cost and simple operation, but the labeling speed is relatively slow, suitable for small and medium-sized mass production, and can only mark simple text and numbers, and cannot mark complex patterns and traceability codes.

• Heat Transfer Labeling Technology: Mainly suitable for glass and plastic canned packaging. The core principle is to use the high temperature of the heat transfer machine to transfer the information on the heat transfer film to the surface of the canned package. The mark is clear and the color is bright, suitable for marking complex patterns and text, but the cost is relatively high, suitable for high-end canned packaging.

(2) Industry Core Demand: Precision, Automation, and Traceability
With the development of large-scale, intelligent, and compliant canned industry, the core demand of the canned labeling industry is also constantly upgrading: first, precision, labeling information needs to be clear and accurate, with no wrong or missing labels, to ensure the traceability of canned food and avoid product recalls due to labeling errors; second, automation, labeling equipment needs to adapt to the high-speed production rhythm of the canned production line, realize automatic labeling and automatic detection, improve production efficiency, and reduce labor costs. For example, laser marking machines and high-speed inkjet printers can realize labeling speeds of hundreds of pieces per minute, suitable for large-scale production; third, traceability, labeling information needs to contain traceability codes, anti-counterfeiting codes, etc., to realize "from farm to table" full traceability of canned food, meet food safety supervision requirements, and prevent counterfeit and shoddy products from entering the market; fourth, compliance, labeling information needs to be complete and clear, complying with relevant standards for food packaging at home and abroad. For example, information such as production date, shelf life, and batch number must be clearly marked and not easy to fall off or fade, ensuring clear identification within the shelf life of canned food.

3. Other Related Industries: Support Upstream and Downstream Links of the Canned Packaging Industry
In addition to the two core related industries of printing and labeling, canned packaging also links multiple upstream and downstream industries, jointly forming a complete canned packaging industrial chain. The following is a brief introduction:

(1) Packaging Material Processing Industry: The core is to provide raw materials for canned packaging, such as metal plate processing (tin plate, aluminum plate), glass processing (glass cans, glass bottles), plastic processing (PET, PP plastic bottles), composite material processing (paper-aluminum composite, aluminum-plastic composite), etc. It is the basic link of canned packaging production. The quality of material processing directly affects the characteristics and safety of canned packaging. For example, the metal plate processing industry needs to perform tin plating and coating treatment on the plate to ensure the corrosion resistance of the plate; the glass processing industry needs to produce high-borosilicate glass to improve the high temperature and impact resistance of glass cans.

(2) Canned Sealing Equipment Industry: Sealing is the core function of canned packaging. The sealing equipment industry mainly provides sealing equipment for canned packaging, such as metal can sealing machines, glass can sealing machines, plastic can sealing machines, etc., to ensure the sealing of canned packaging and prevent oxidation and spoilage of contents. The performance of sealing equipment directly affects the shelf life of canned food. With the intelligent development of canned packaging, sealing equipment is also gradually being upgraded to automatic and precise directions. For example, metal can double-seaming equipment can form a 5-layer interlocking structure (lid hook + body hook) through precision mechanical rolling to ensure absolute air tightness; glass can vacuum sealing equipment can immediately cap after hot filling, and the contents contract when cooled to form negative pressure, improving sealing performance.

(3) Canned Packaging Testing Equipment Industry: The core is to test the quality of canned packaging, such as sealing testing, printing quality testing, labeling quality testing, material safety testing, etc., to ensure that canned packaging meets relevant standards and avoid unqualified packaging from entering the market. The development of testing equipment is closely related to the compliance and safety requirements of canned packaging. At present, automatic testing has been gradually realized. For example, the sealing tester can quickly test the sealing performance of canned packaging to avoid product spoilage caused by poor sealing; the ink harmful substance detector can detect toxic and harmful substances in printing inks to ensure food safety.

(4) Packaging Design Industry: The core is to provide design solutions for canned packaging, including packaging shape, specifications, patterns, colors, etc., adapting to the personalization and high-end trends of canned packaging, and helping brands create differentiated competitiveness. The packaging design industry needs to combine consumer demand, industry trends, and product characteristics to design packaging solutions that are beautiful, practical, and comply with compliance requirements, such as eye-catching designs for emergency canned food, exquisite designs for high-end canned food, and trendy designs for social media-favorite cans.

IV. Differences Between Glass Packaging and Tinplate Canned Packaging

Glass packaging and tinplate canned packaging are the two most widely used packaging materials in the canned industry. There are significant differences between the two in terms of characteristics, applications, cost, environmental protection, etc., and the applicable canned categories and scenarios are also different. Many practitioners and buyers are prone to confuse the differences between the two when choosing canned packaging materials, leading to improper selection, affecting the shelf life, taste, and market competitiveness of products. The following compares the differences between glass packaging and tinplate canned packaging in all dimensions from six core dimensions: material characteristics, packaging performance, application scenarios, cost and price, environmental protection, and compliance requirements. At the same time, selection suggestions are given to cover the long-tail keyword glass and tinplate canned packaging selection techniques to help relevant practitioners choose accurately.

Core Difference 1: Comparison of Material Characteristics
Material characteristics are the most fundamental difference between the two, directly determining subsequent packaging performance and application scenarios. The specific comparison is as follows:

(1) Glass Packaging Material Characteristics: The core raw material is high-borosilicate glass or ordinary glass. The main component is silicon dioxide, which has extremely high chemical inertness, is non-toxic and harmless, and does not react with any food components; the texture is hard and transparent, and contents can be directly observed; heavy weight, high density, 3-5 times heavier than tinplate material; low mechanical strength, fragile, not resistant to impact or compression; high temperature resistance and low temperature resistance, strong temperature adaptability, high-borosilicate glass can withstand temperature changes from -40℃ to 400℃; the inner wall does not need to be coated with protective coatings, and there is no release of harmful substances itself, making it extremely safe.

(2) Tinplate Canned Packaging Material Characteristics: The core raw material is tinplate (tin-plated steel plate), which is made by coating tin on the surface of cold-rolled steel plate, combining the strength of the steel plate with the corrosion resistance of tin; the texture is hard, with high mechanical strength, impact and compression resistance, not easy to deform or damage; heavy weight, but lighter than glass material, with moderate density; opaque, contents cannot be directly observed; high temperature and high pressure resistance, adaptable to 121℃ high temperature and high pressure sterilization process; the inner wall needs to be coated with food-grade epoxy resin or organosol coating to prevent food from reacting with metal, avoid metal ion migration, and ensure food safety. The coating quality directly affects the safety of packaging.

Core Difference 2: Comparison of Packaging Performance
Packaging performance is the core competitiveness of canned packaging, mainly including sealing, barrier property, shelf life, and ease of opening. The differences between the two are more obvious:

(1) Sealing: The sealing of both is good, but the principles and effects are slightly different. Tinplate canned packaging adopts a curled sealing technology, which forms a 5-layer interlocking structure through precision mechanical rolling. The sealing performance is excellent, effectively isolating air, moisture, light, and microorganisms. Almost no air or liquid leakage occurs, and the sealing stability is strong, suitable for long-term storage; glass packaging adopts a screw cap + sealing gasket seal. The sealing performance is good, but the sealing effect is greatly affected by the quality of the sealing gasket and the tightening degree. During long-term storage or transportation, sealing loosening, air leakage, or liquid leakage may occur, and the sealing stability is not as good as that of tinplate canned packaging.

(2) Barrier Property: Tinplate canned packaging has extremely strong barrier property, can completely isolate air, moisture, and light, prevent oxidation, spoilage, and fading of canned contents, and especially effectively block the influence of light on contents, suitable for canned categories sensitive to light (such as meat and fish cans); glass packaging also has better barrier property, which can isolate air and moisture, but cannot isolate light. Transparent glass cans will cause light to directly irradiate contents. Long-term exposure to sunlight may cause oxidation, discoloration, and nutrient loss of contents, affecting taste and appearance. Therefore, glass cans often use amber or green coloring technology to filter out more than 70% of ultraviolet rays and reduce the degradation rate of photosensitive components.

(3) Shelf Life: Tinplate canned packaging has a longer shelf life, usually up to 2-5 years. The core reason is its excellent sealing and barrier property, which can effectively extend the storage time of contents, especially suitable for canned food requiring long-term storage and emergency reserves; glass packaging has a relatively shorter shelf life, usually 1-3 years, mainly affected by sealing and light, and it is not easy to store for a long time after opening. Even if sealed, the shelf life will be significantly shortened. In practical applications, the shelf life of tinplate cans is usually 6-12 months longer than that of glass cans of the same category.

(4) Ease of Opening: There is a big difference in the ease of opening between the two. Tinplate canned packaging traditionally uses ordinary lids, which require a special can opener to open. The operation is cumbersome and inconvenient for portable use; although there are improved designs such as easy-tear lids and pull-tab lids, the cost is relatively high, and some easy-tear lids are difficult to open. Glass packaging mostly uses screw caps, which can be opened with a gentle twist without special tools. The operation is convenient, and it can be resealed after opening, which is convenient for the storage of unfinished canned food. The opening experience is better than traditional tinplate canned packaging, but when the seal is tight, it is difficult for the elderly and children to open.

Core Difference 3: Comparison of Application Scenarios
Due to the differences in characteristics and packaging performance, the application scenarios of glass packaging and tinplate canned packaging are completely different, each with its own focus, specifically as follows:

(1) Application Scenarios of Tinplate Canned Packaging: The core is adapted to scenarios such as "long-term storage, bulk transportation, portable carrying (non-lightweight), and emergency reserve," mainly used in the following categories and scenarios:

• Meat and Fish Cans: Such as beef, pork, tuna, salmon cans, etc., which require long-term storage and have extremely high requirements for sealing and barrier property. Tinplate packaging can effectively retain the taste and nutrition of contents and prevent spoilage;

• Bean, Fruit, and Vegetable Cans: Such as soybean, mung bean, yellow peach, orange cans, etc., mass production and mass transportation. Tinplate packaging has high mechanical strength, is not easy to break, and reduces transportation costs;

• Emergency Cans and Outdoor Cans: Emergency reserve scenarios require long-term storage of cans (1-5 years), and outdoor scenarios require cans to be impact-resistant and not easy to break. The characteristics of tinplate packaging perfectly adapt to these two scenarios, and it is the preferred packaging material for emergency cans;

• Industrial and Catering Raw Material Cans: Such as tomato sauce and mushroom cans, used for industrial production and catering processing, bulk procurement and bulk storage. Tinplate packaging has high cost-effectiveness and long shelf life, adapting to demand.
  (2) Application Scenarios of Glass Packaging: The core is adapted to scenarios such as "high-end, healthy, household use, and gifts," mainly used in the following categories and scenarios:

• High-end Fruit Cans: Such as yellow peach, cherry, and strawberry cans, transparent glass cans can directly show the color and state of contents, improve the grade of products, and attract consumers who focus on appearance and quality;

• Jam, Honey, and Baby Food Cans: Extremely high requirements for safety. Glass materials are non-toxic and harmless and do not release harmful substances. They can retain the nutrition and taste of contents to the greatest extent, suitable for special consumer groups such as infants and pregnant women;

• Traditional Chinese Medicine and Health Product Cans: High-end traditional Chinese medicine and health products have higher requirements for packaging safety and grade, and the healthy and high-end characteristics of glass packaging adapt to demand;

• Household Pack and Gift Box Cans: Glass cans can be reused, suitable for household storage of food, condiments, etc., and high aesthetic appearance, matched with exquisite printing and decoration, suitable for gifts, with common specifications of 250-1000ml.

Core Difference 4: Comparison of Cost and Price
The cost and price of glass packaging and tinplate canned packaging vary greatly, mainly reflected in three aspects: raw material cost, production process cost, and transportation cost. The specific comparison is as follows:
(1) Raw Material Cost: The raw material (tinplate) cost of tinplate canned packaging is moderate and cost-effective. At present, the price of tinplate in the market is relatively stable and suitable for mass procurement; the raw material (high-borosilicate glass, ordinary glass) cost of glass packaging is relatively high, and the price of glass production raw materials (quartz sand, soda ash) fluctuates greatly, resulting in a higher raw material cost for glass packaging than for tinplate canned packaging.
(2) Production Process Cost: The production process of tinplate canned packaging (stamping, forming, sealing, printing) is relatively mature, the production efficiency is high, the process cost is low, and it is suitable for mass production; the production process of glass packaging (melting, forming, annealing, sealing, printing) is more complex, the production efficiency is low, and the breakage rate is high (the breakage rate during transportation and production can reach 2-3%), which further increases the process cost, resulting in a much higher production process cost for glass packaging than for tinplate canned packaging.
(3) Transportation Cost: The weight of tinplate canned packaging is moderate, lighter than glass material, not easy to break during transportation, and the transportation cost is relatively low; the weight of glass packaging is large, 3-5 times heavier than tinplate material, and fragile. Special packaging (foam, carton) is required during transportation to prevent breakage, and the transportation cost is much higher than that of tinplate canned packaging.
Comprehensive view, the overall cost of glass packaging (raw materials + production process + transportation) is 1.5-3 times that of tinplate canned packaging. Therefore, the market price of glass cans is generally higher than that of tinplate cans, adapted to the high-end market; the cost-effectiveness of tinplate cans is higher, adapted to the mass market and emergency reserve market.

Core Difference 5: Comparison of Environmental Protection
In the trend of green environmental protection, the environmental protection of packaging has become an important consideration factor. The environmental protection of glass packaging and tinplate canned packaging has its own advantages. The specific comparison is as follows:
(1) Environmental Protection of Glass Packaging: The core advantage is reusability. It can be used again to store food and condiments after cleaning. The reuse rate is high, reducing the production of packaging waste; at the same time, glass materials can be recycled and reused. After recycling, they can be remelted and formed to make new glass packaging. The recycling rate can reach more than 80%, and no toxic and harmful substances are produced during the recycling process, and the environmental protection is good. The disadvantage is that the production process of glass has high energy consumption. Melting glass requires high-temperature heating, consuming a large amount of energy, and some pollutants will be produced during the production process; the breakage rate is high during transportation, and broken glass cannot be reused and can only be recycled, increasing recycling costs.
(2) Environmental Protection of Tinplate Canned Packaging: The core advantage is recyclability. The recycling rate of tinplate is extremely high. By 2025, the recycling rate of tinplate cans in China will exceed 92%, 11 percentage points higher than the EU level during the same period. After recycling, they can be resmelted and processed into new metal plates. The energy consumption of the recycling process is low, and no toxic and harmful substances will be produced; at the same time, the production process of tinplate canned packaging has low energy consumption and good environmental protection. The disadvantage is that it cannot be reused and can only be recycled after single use. Compared with the reuse of glass packaging, environmental protection is slightly insufficient; the inner wall coating of some tinplate canned packaging may cause some environmental pollution if recycled improperly.

Core Difference 6: Comparison of Compliance Requirements
The compliance requirements of both revolve around food safety, but due to different material characteristics, the compliance focus is different:
(1) Compliance Focus of Tinplate Canned Packaging: The core is the safety of the inner wall coating. It must be ensured that the coating is food-grade (such as epoxy resin, organosol), contains no toxic and harmful substances (such as bisphenol A), and has strong coating adhesion and will not fall off or migrate to food, complying with domestic and international standards (such as the EU BPA migration requirement of 1μg/kg); at the same time, the can body must have no rust or damage, the sealing performance must comply with the standard, and the labeling and printing information must be complete and clear to ensure traceability. In addition, auxiliary materials (such as release agents and cleaning agents) used to produce tinplate cans contain BPA, and it must be ensured that they will not migrate into the cans, otherwise they will be judged as non-compliant.
(2) Compliance Focus of Glass Packaging: The core is the safety of glass materials. It must be ensured that the glass is food-grade, contains no toxic and harmful substances (such as lead and cadmium), and the glass surface has no damage or cracks to avoid scratching users; the sealing gasket must be food-grade, contain no toxic and harmful substances, and the sealing performance must comply with the standard to prevent air and liquid leakage; the printing ink must be food-grade, non-toxic and harmless, and have strong adhesion and will not fall off, complying with environmental and safety requirements. Since glass materials are extremely chemically inert, there is no need to worry about the reaction between the material itself and the food, and the focus of compliance control is relatively simple.

7. Selection Suggestions: Accurately Select According to Categories and Scenarios
Combining the above six core differences, the following selection suggestions are given to help practitioners and buyers accurately choose glass packaging or tinplate canned packaging:
(1) If the product is meat, fish, beans, and other cans requiring long-term storage (more than 2 years), mass transportation, and emergency reserves, prioritize choosing tinplate canned packaging. It has high cost-effectiveness, good sealing, long shelf life, impact resistance, and is not easy to break, suitable for mass markets and emergency scenarios.
(2) If the product is high-end fruit, jam, baby food, traditional Chinese medicine, etc. that focuses on health, high-end, and appearance, prioritize choosing glass packaging. It is non-toxic and harmless, transparent and visible, reusable, can improve the grade of products, and is suitable for high-end markets, household scenarios, and gift scenarios.
(3) If the product focuses on portability (such as outdoor and office scenarios) and does not require long-term storage (within 1 year), it can be selected according to cost and appearance requirements: if the budget is limited, choose tinplate easy-tear lid cans; if appearance is prioritized, choose glass small-capacity cans, but pay attention to the carrying safety of glass cans.
(4) If the product needs to be exported to overseas markets such as the EU, prioritize choosing tinplate or glass packaging that meets compliance standards. Tinplate packaging needs to focus on controlling the BPA migration of inner wall coatings, and glass packaging needs to ensure that the material contains no toxic and harmful substances, while preparing complete compliance declaration documents to ensure smooth customs clearance of products.

V. Summary and Future Outlook

The canned packaging industry is in a critical period of transformation and upgrading. Green, intelligent, convenient, personalized, and compliant have become the core development trends, driving the coordinated development of packaging materials, printing, labeling, and other upstream and downstream related industries. Among the mainstream canned packaging materials, tinplate canned packaging, with its advantages of high cost-effectiveness, good sealing, and long shelf life, remains the core choice for mass markets and emergency reserve scenarios; glass packaging, with its health, high-end, and transparency advantages, occupies an important position in high-end markets and household scenarios; plastic and composite materials serve as supplements to adapt to specific niche scenarios. In the future, with the maturity of technology, the application range of composite materials will gradually expand.

Among the related industries of canned packaging, the printing and labeling industries, as core links, are gradually upgrading towards environmentally friendly, automatic, accurate, and traceable directions. Printing technology and materials are continuously optimized, and labeling technology is constantly innovative to meet the personalized and compliance needs of canned packaging; at the same time, packaging material processing, sealing equipment, testing equipment, and other industries are also being continuously upgraded to jointly support the high-quality development of the canned packaging industry. Glass packaging and tinplate canned packaging, as the two mainstream packaging forms, each have their own advantages and disadvantages and are suitable for different categories and scenarios. Practitioners need to accurately choose packaging materials according to product characteristics, market demand, and scenario positioning to improve product competitiveness.

In the future, with the continuous advancement of technology, the continuous tightening of environmental protection policies, and the continuous upgrading of consumer demand, the canned packaging industry will usher in more new development opportunities and challenges: first, green environmental protection will become the top priority of industry development, and degradable, recyclable, and reusable packaging materials will gradually replace traditional materials, and low-carbon production technology will be widely used; second, the level of intelligence will continue to improve, and the Internet of Things, big data, and laser technology will be deeply integrated into various links such as production, labeling, and traceability of canned packaging to realize the whole-process intelligent control of packaging; third, the demand for personalization and customization will continue to increase, and packaging design and technology will be more flexible to meet the needs of different market segments and scenarios; fourth, compliance requirements will continue to increase, and domestic and international food packaging regulations will be gradually improved, forcing enterprises to optimize packaging materials and processes to ensure product safety and compliance.

For canned enterprises, they need to keep up with industry development trends, optimize packaging selection, strengthen cooperation with upstream and downstream related industries, improve the safety, practicality, appearance, and environmental protection of packaging, and strictly abide by relevant compliance requirements to stand out in fierce market competition; for printing, labeling, and other related industries, they need to focus on the core needs of canned packaging, increase technological innovation and product upgrading, provide higher quality, more efficient, and more environmentally friendly products and services, develop in coordination with the canned packaging industry, and jointly promote China's canned packaging industry towards a new stage of high-quality development.