Well-being from a can

A packaging innovation being presented by Ball Packaging Europe at interpack 2005 is paving the way for the development of a new generation of beverages in the health, wellness and sport drinks segments. Sensitive substances such as vitamins, pro-biotic additives or trace elements can now, for the first time, be stored in a can in a dry state and not mixed with the beverage until the can is opened.

A packaging innovation being presented by Ball Packaging Europe at interpack 2005 is paving the way for the development of a new generation of beverages in the health, wellness and sport drinks segments. Sensitive substances such as vitamins, pro-biotic additives or trace elements can now, for the first time, be stored in a can in a dry state and not mixed with the beverage until the can is opened. Many nutritious substances cannot be preserved in an aqueous solution. Vitamins, for example, degrade in water within a very short period and are then no longer effective. In the Fresh Can, the sensitive substances are stored in a plastic container, the so-called “wedge”. When the consumer opens the can the pressure decreases causing the wedge end to spring open. This means that the sensitive substances are not dissolved in the beverage until it is consumed. Nutritional additives which the consumer could previously only take in powder or tablet form, can now also be sold as a drink. It is far more convenient for the consumer in this pharmaceutical form, in particular in the sport and fitness sectors. The plastic capsule floats freely in the can, i.e. it is not fixed to the base, but nevertheless it has a reliable opening mechanism. This solution provides significant logistic benefits for the container filling process because the wedge and the can are delivered separately to the beverage producer.