The new end, currently available in 73mm diameter, is produced in France, with production in additional European and North American locations set to begin shortly. Nestlé Purina Petcare Europe is using the Easylift on 400g packs of its Felix catfood and Winalot dogfood in Holland and reportedly plans introducing it as standard across all its major brands once the trial is complete.
Explaining the Easylift’s advantages, Tom Buday, marketing director, Nestlé Purina Petcare Europe, says: “Crown’s innovation features a generous gap between can lid and tab for easier access to the product inside.”
Crown says Easylift easy-open ends “retain all the opening performance” of its “flagship” Eole technology and are compatible with existing can line equipment, adding: “Only one-off adjustments are needed (principally to seaming and can handling equipment), allowing brand owners to incorporate the innovative ends with no production downtime”.
Ana Ces-Agraso, marketing director, Crown Food Europe, adds: “By modifying the end panel and giving the tab a slight uplift we have made it easier for users to get fingers under the tab, although the tear force needed for opening is identical. Previously some consumers may have been deterred from buying easy-open end cans due to the perception that the tab would be hard to access. With the new end the bigger gap is immediately clear.”
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Crown Food Europe
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