FDBusiness.com

A can that could potentially save the food canning industry thousands of tons of steel each year has won the Can of the Year Award for 2013.
Developed by Ardagh Group in collaboration with France-based vegetable canner Bonduelle, the can has walls so thin that nitrogen injection is necessary to maintain its rigidity during transit and retailing.
The award was presented as part of “The Canmaker magazine Cans of the Year Awards” at a Gala Dinner held during The Canmaker Summit in Edinburgh on 7 November. The international awards are presented annually in 12 categories.
“We join Bonduelle in congratulating all the people who have been involved in the breakthrough Nemo project, a milestone for innovative metal packaging,” says Tim Clarke, commercial director for food at Ardagh Metal Europe, after accepting the award with market intelligence director Mark Smyth from Allan Sayers, publisher of The Canmaker. “They thoroughly deserve the recognition that these awards have brought through excellent teamwork, perseverance, attention to detail and a close eye on consumer needs. With cost and sustainability so high on the corporate agenda the Nemo can addresses the needs of tomorrow, today.”
Commenting on the award-winning can, Mónica Higuera, editor of The Canmaker, says: “The effort by Ardagh and Bonduelle to enhance the sustainability of metal food packaging is to be applauded.”
Called Nemo, the food can is the result of an advance in both two-piece D&I manufacturing technology and in can processing, says Luxembourg-based Ardagh. With the can’s sidewalls thinned by 43 percent to 80 microns, a 15 percent weight reduction to 41g has been made.
A further benefit to the consumer, as identified by company research, is the sense of freshness that comes on opening the can, created by the “psshht”sound of the pressure release.
“The introduction of nitrogen dosing in a consistent and controlled way, and how best to accommodate the increased internal pressure upon the can bottom and end also presented a design challenge to the Ardagh team,” said the canmaker. “The redesigned and re-engineered can is able to withstand pressures of up to 4.5 bar.”
First application of the new packaging was for Bonduelle’s Winter Vegetable range retailed in Germany, to be followed by the gradual rollout on other products in its canned vegetable range. The cans are currently being made at Ardagh’s D&I production plant in Deventer in The Netherlands, and filled at Bonduelle’s canning plant at Vaulx Vraucourt in northern France.
Bonduelle’s commercial and marketing chief Agnes Dion said at the launch of the Nemo can earlier this year: “Through close cooperation with Ardagh, we are delighted to continue Bonduelle’s track record of being first to market with new product innovations. This new concept contains so many benefits for the consumer, and is a true success story for sustainable metal packaging.”
The Ardagh Nemo food can won the Gold Award in the Two-Piece Food can category and also the Gold Award in the Sustainability category.

CATEGORY WINNERS
Can of the Year 2013 Winner: Ardagh Group, The Netherlands
Lightweight D&I steel Nemo can for Bonduelle’s Winter Vegetable range
Aerosol
Gold: CCL Container, USA
Impact-extruded aluminum can for AXE Chilled shaving gel for Unilever
Beverage Three-Piece
Gold: Metalgráfica Renner, Brazil
Welded tinplate barrel for Don Affonso wine from Vinícola Don Affonso
Beverage Two-Piece
Gold: Ball Corporation, USA
D&I aluminum can with double vented end for Coors Light beer from Coors Brewing Co.
Bottles
Gold: Rexam, Czech Republic
D&I aluminum Fusion bottle for PepsiCo.

Decoration & Print Quality
Gold: Virojanglor, France
Fancy tinplate gift box for Ballantine’s Aged 12 Years Scotch whisky from Pernod Ricard
Ends, Caps & Closures
Gold: Packaging Products del Peru, Peru
Low gauge 0.15mm steel crown cap for beer and carbonated soft drinks from AJE-Peru
Fancy Cans
Gold: Virojanglor, France
Secondary container with twist lid & insulation for Moët & Chandon Champagne from MHCS
Food Three-Piece
Gold: Boixadós Envasos Metàl.lics, Spain
Tinplate hopper with plastics closure for Piazza D’Oro coffee beans from D E Master Blenders
Food Two-Piece
Gold: Ardagh Group, The Netherlands
Lightweight D&I steel Nemo can for Bonduelle’s Winter Vegetable range
General Line
Gold: Litografia Valença, Brazil
18-litre tinplate pail with textured print for Suvinil Texturatto Premium Liso paint from BASF
Prototype
Gold: Tubex, Germany
Photorealistic printed impact-extruded aluminum aerosol can
Sustainability
Gold: Ardagh Group, The Netherlands
Lightweight D&I steel Nemo can for Bonduelle’s Winter Vegetable range
Canmaker Summit Delegates’ Choice
Metal Container Corporation, USA: D&I aluminum ‘Bowtie’ shaped can for Budweiser beer for Anheuser-Busch.
For the full list of Gold, Silver and Bronze winners go to www.spgevents.com/summit