These represent a remarkable success story in food packaging. Originally used for small portion packs of pates and fruit conserves, sealed smooth wall containers are now used for all manner of ‘shelf stable’ foods. The outcome of close collaboration between container producers and the specialists in inks and coatings, the lidded alufoil dish provides an ideal combination of characteristics. It is compact, attractive in appearance, fully protective yet easy to open and use.

The lightness of the metal and the stacking format of the empty container offer space and handling economy during the filling processes. The aluminum finish can be enhanced with colored lacquers and high quality multicolor printing. Development continues thanks to alloy ‘tailoring’, down gauging and digital printing techniques, so enabling shorter runs coupled with economy without loss of performance.