Verpackungslösung für Konserven

Industry Snapshot

Canned food packaging covers meat / seafood / fruit / vegetable / ready-to-eat porridge / eight-treasure porridge / sauce canned foods. The four core entry points for a paper-box mill are tinplate can + paper-box outer pack, glass jar + gift box, easy-open can + corrugated outer carton, and high-temperature retort label compliance.

The canned food industry has four unique packaging constraints. The first is high-temperature retort processes dictate the substrate: cans require 121°C high-temperature sterilization for 30–60 minutes, so substrates must be heat-resistant (tinplate / glass / heat-resistant plastic); ordinary paper / plastic cannot directly contact the contents. The second is long shelf-life requirements: canned shelf life is typically 24–36 months (far exceeding ordinary food), and the oxygen, moisture and light barrier performance of the packaging must remain stable over the long term. The third is the metal can + paper box two-layer packaging combination: the contents sit inside the metal / glass can, which is then wrapped in a paper box for brand display + cushioning; coordinated design of the two layers is an industry hallmark. The fourth is strict ingredient declaration: meat canned foods must declare ingredients, seafood canned foods must declare allergens (shellfish), fruit canned foods must declare additives (such as citric acid / preservatives), and GB 7718 compliance is demanding.

The traditional form of canned packaging is metal can + simple paper label (directly stuck to the can body). Since 2018, it has been upgrading to hardcover paper-box packaging—metal can + paper-box outer pack (gift canned), glass jar + gift box (high-end fruit / sauce), easy-open can + corrugated outer carton (e-commerce). The drivers are brand-value enhancement + e-commerce shipping protection + gift-scenario expansion.

The canned-food industry's channel structure is relatively unique. Traditional channels (supermarkets / convenience stores / wholesale markets) account for 60%+, the mainstream; e-commerce channels account for 15–25% but grow fast (post-pandemic home-stocking demand + small-spec trial sales); gift channels (holiday gift boxes / business gifts) account for 5–10% but yield the highest margin; export channels account for 10–20%, with Southeast Asia / Europe-America / the Middle East as the main battlefields. The packaging needs of different channels vary dramatically.

On compliance, canned foods must meet GB 7094 (meat canned-food hygiene standard), GB 7096 (edible mushroom canned-food hygiene standard), GB/T 13211 (canned-food classification standard), GB 7718 (general standard for pre-packaged food labelling), and GB 28050 (nutrition-labelling standard). Export canned foods must also meet destination-country regulations—FDA requires a nutrition-facts panel + allergen declaration, the EU requires additive-limit declaration, and Southeast Asia requires Halal certification. All labels must include an ingredient list, production date, shelf life, production-license number, allergen advisory (where applicable) and a nutrition-facts panel.

Brand segmentation in canned foods is pronounced. Top-tier brands (Meilin / Gulong / Huanlejia tier) post tens of millions in annual sales, with single-can packaging cost of CNY 0.5–2; regional brands (local heritage names / rising online-native brands) run CNY 1–3 per can; new-consumption canned foods (Wangxiaolu / Kongmo Yitianmian tier) run CNY 3–8 per can with fast SKU iteration; export OEM factories run CNY 0.3–1 per can, mainly contract-manufactured. The packaging needs of different tiers vary dramatically.

Two industry directions are worth watching. The first is small-spec and ready-to-eat: 200–500g single-can small-spec packs suit the single-person economy + solo-dining scenarios and grow 25%+ per year; ready-to-eat porridge / self-heating canned / seafood canned are penetrating camping / outdoor scenarios fast. The second is eco-friendly metal substitution: traditional tinplate cans are gradually shifting to recyclable aluminum cans + eco-friendly coatings; the EU has legislated BPA-free (bisphenol-A-free) can coatings, and China will follow within 3–5 years.

Industry Overview

Canned food packaging covers meat / seafood / fruit / vegetable / ready-to-eat porridge / eight-treasure porridge / sauce canned foods. The four core entry points for a paper-box mill are tinplate can + paper-box outer pack, glass jar + gift box, easy-open can + corrugated outer carton, and high-temperature retort label compliance.

Industry Pain Points

Pain Point 1: Direct-applied labels on metal cans look low-end

• Root cause: metal can-body surface-printing processes are limited (only screen printing / offset + partial UV) and cannot deliver premium finishes such as hot stamping / embossing / complex spot UV; metal can-body printing has limited heat-resistance under retort (some inks discolour at high temperature).
• Impact / consequence: canned-brand recognition is 15–30% lower than same-price-point food; new-consumption canned-food gross margin is compressed, blocking entry into high-end gift channels.
• Priority: ★★★★★
• Applicable to: Array

Pain Point 2: Can-body collision damage in e-commerce transit

• Root cause: thin tinplate-can walls (0.2–0.3mm) + fragile glass jars, outer-cartons with insufficient compression strength + no shock-absorbing inner liner; e-commerce sortation-line impact intensity exceeds traditional supermarket logistics.
• Impact / consequence: e-commerce return rate 5–15%; on 5 million annual orders, that is 250k–750k returned + reshipment cost; glass-jar breakage contaminates the whole case, doubling the loss.
• Priority: ★★★★★
• Applicable to: Array

Pain Point 3: Cost pressure on glass-jar gift packaging

• Root cause: glass jar + gift box two-layer cost stacks; premium finishes (hot stamping + embossing + spot UV) double per-box cost; gift-box + glass-jar transit breaks more easily and requires extra cushion design.
• Impact / consequence: new-product gift-box launch failure rate is high (30–50%); dead-stock write-off loss is CNY 200k–500k per SKU; brand owners are forced into conservative development and miss the gift channel.
• Priority: ★★★★☆
• Applicable to: Array

Pain Point 4: Complex multi-language label compliance for export canned foods

• Root cause: regulations differ widely across countries (FDA 21 CFR / EU FIC 1169/2011 / GB 7718); the metal can body has limited surface area, making multi-language layout difficult; Halal / Kosher certification requires additional application; some countries require BPA-free can coating.
• Impact / consequence: export canned-food label designs need 5–8 revisions to satisfy multi-country compliance; certification delays new-product launches by 1–3 months; some countries reject shipments for non-compliant labels.
• Priority: ★★★★☆
• Applicable to: Array

Pain Point 5: Special heat-resistance requirements for retort labels

• Root cause: retort temperature of 121°C exceeds the heat-resistance ceiling of ordinary pressure-sensitive adhesive (80–90°C); ordinary PSA adhesives fail under high-temperature + steam conditions; screen printing is heat-resistant but rough and cannot support multi-language + small-batch.
• Impact / consequence: canned-food label processes are limited and cannot upgrade to multi-language / variable-data / anti-counterfeiting; can-body screen-print cost is high + small-batch economics are poor.
• Priority: ★★★☆☆
• Applicable to: Array

Pain Point 6: SKU management complexity (flavor + spec + channel version)

• Root cause: SKU fragmentation is inevitable from category diversification + channel segmentation—four major categories (meat / seafood / fruit / sauce) each have dozens of SKUs, plus small-spec + gift box + e-commerce-exclusive versions; SKUs explode.
• Impact / consequence: a single brand carries 30–60 SKUs with high warehouse-management cost; plate-making cost per new SKU is CNY 1,500–3,000, raising spec-expansion cost; slow-moving specs incur CNY 100k–300k / year / brand in write-off losses.
• Priority: ★★★☆☆
• Applicable to: Array

LeXiang Packaging Solutions

Solution 1: Metal Can + Paper-Box Outer Pack Brand Upgrade Strategy

• Applicable scenarios: new-consumption canned foods, regional-brand upgrade, gift canned operations, sauce brands, meat / seafood / fruit canned foods
• Description: metal can (heat-resistant screen print) + paper-box outer pack (white cardboard + hot stamping + spot UV) + inner divider + can-and-box integrated design
• Structure: tinplate can / aluminum can + paper-box outer pack (flip-top / drawer box) + E-flute inner liner
• Material: tinplate 0.2–0.3mm (can body) + white cardboard 300–350g (paper box) + E-flute 3mm (inner liner)
• Grammage: tinplate can body 0.2–0.3mm + white-cardboard paper box 350g + E-flute inner liner 3mm
• Process: can-body screen print (heat-resistant retort) + paper-box offset / digital print + matte lamination + hot stamping + spot UV + die-cutting forming
• Label: can-body screen print (heat-resistant) + paper-box outer-pack PSA label (GB 7718 mandatory items + ingredients + allergens + nutrition-facts panel)
• Label detail: brand logo + product name + net weight + ingredient list + production date + shelf life + SC production license + allergens (where applicable) + nutrition-facts panel + producer info + paper-box outer-pack brand display
• Why we do it this way: the metal-can + paper-box two-layer structure lets the can body focus on heat-resistant retort + sealing (screen print), while the paper box focuses on brand display + premium finishes such as hot stamping / spot UV / embossing. Each layer does its own job, lifting brand value 30–50%.
• Best fit: new-consumption canned foods, regional-brand upgrade, gift canned operations, sauce brands, meat / seafood / fruit canned foods
• Not suited for: ultra-low-cost white-label (cost prohibitive), single-spec industrial canned

Solution 2: E-commerce Compression-Resistant Shockproof Outer Carton Strategy

• Applicable scenarios: e-commerce shipping, community-group buying, live-commerce streaming, cross-border e-commerce, 6–12-can full cases
• Description: five-ply corrugated outer carton + can-body divider design + E-flute / honeycomb paper-board cushion + glass-jar-dedicated air-column bag + e-commerce label area
• Structure: five-ply corrugated outer carton (AA / AB flute) + can-body divider (6 / 12 cells) + cushion inner liner
• Material: five-ply corrugated (face paper + medium + middle paper + medium + liner) + E-flute divider + air-column bag (glass-jar-dedicated)
• Grammage: corrugated board 7–9mm (five-ply) + E-flute divider 3mm + air-column bag 0.06mm (glass jar)
• Process: water-based ink printing (outer carton) + die-cutting + creasing + stitching / gluing case + divider inner-liner forming
• Label: logistics-label area reserved + fragile-symbol mark (glass jar) + stacking-layer mark + GB 7718 PSA label
• Label detail: brand logo + product name + spec + net weight + ingredient list + production date + shelf life + SC production license + allergens + logistics-label area + fragile-symbol mark (glass jar)
• Why we do it this way: five-ply corrugated delivers 60–80% higher compression strength than three-ply, with a 1.2m drop-test pass rate of 99%+. The can-body divider design keeps 6–12 cans in place, preventing collision. The glass-jar-dedicated air-column bag absorbs shock, lowering the breakage rate from 10–15% to under 1%.
• Best fit: e-commerce canned brands, live-commerce streaming, community-group buying, cross-border e-commerce, 6–12-can full cases
• Not suited for: pure offline-channel packs (cost unnecessary), ultra-long-haul glass-jar transit (breakage risk still high)

Solution 3: Glass-Jar Gift Hardcover Strategy

• Applicable scenarios: holiday gift-box operations, sauce gift boxes, fruit-canned gift boxes, business gifts, brand upgrade
• Description: flip-top gift box / book-style box + glass-jar window design + specialty paper + hot stamping + cushion inner tray + 500-set MOQ
• Structure: flip-top gift box / book-style box (with glass-jar window) + inner tray (fitted to glass jar) + cushion material
• Material: white cardboard 300–350g + grey board 1200g (inner tray) + specialty paper (premium version) + kraft paper (eco version)
• Grammage: white cardboard 350g + grey board 1200g + specialty paper 110g (premium) + E-flute inner tray 3mm
• Process: digital print / offset + matte lamination + hot stamping / silver stamping + spot UV (premium) + embossing + die-cut window + inner-tray forming
• Label: GB 7718 mandatory items + gift-box-exclusive marks + variable-data labels (production date / batch number)
• Label detail: brand logo + product name + net weight + ingredient list + production date + shelf life + SC production license + allergens + gift-box-exclusive marks + producer info
• Why we do it this way: the flip-top / book-style hardcover with window design keeps the glass jar visible (differentiated from metal-can gift boxes); specialty paper + hot stamping elevate the perceived tier. 500-set MOQ + digital print zero plate fees keep the new-product gift-box validation cost low (500 sets × CNY 15 = CNY 7,500 trial cost).
• Best fit: holiday gift-box operations, sauce gift boxes, fruit-canned gift boxes, business gifts, brand upgrade, new-consumption canned
• Not suited for: ultra-premium gift boxes (should switch to offset for cost), ultra-low-margin fast-movers

Solution 4: Export Multi-Language Compliance Label Strategy

• Applicable scenarios: export canned brands, cross-border e-commerce, OEM factories, Southeast Asia / Middle East / Europe-America exports
• Description: can-body zone-printed multi-language screen print + paper-box outer-pack multi-language PSA label + Halal / Kosher certification marks + BPA-free coating
• Structure: tinplate can / aluminum can (BPA-free coating) + paper-box outer pack (multi-language label area) + certification marks
• Material: tinplate / aluminum can (BPA-free) + white cardboard (paper box) + PSA-laminated label
• Grammage: can-body tinplate 0.2–0.3mm (BPA-free) + paper-box white cardboard 300g + PSA 80g coated paper
• Process: can-body screen print (heat-resistant + multi-language) + paper-box offset print + PSA digital print (multi-language label) + spot gloss lamination
• Label: multi-language can-body screen print (Chinese / English / destination-country language) + paper-box multi-language PSA label + bilingual nutrition-facts panel + allergen special declaration + Halal / Kosher certification marks
• Label detail: GB 7718 + FDA 21 CFR + EU FIC 1169/2011 + destination-country special requirements (Halal / Kosher / BPA-free marking)
• Why we do it this way: zone-printed multi-language can-body screen print + paper-box outer-pack multi-language PSA label flexibly adapts to different destination countries without retooling the can body; Halal / Kosher certification applies for years once granted; BPA-free coating satisfies EU regulations.
• Best fit: export canned brands, cross-border e-commerce, OEM factories, Southeast Asia / Middle East / Europe-America exports
• Not suited for: pure domestic-market packs (cost prohibitive), single-destination-country low-value SKUs

Solution 5: Small-Spec Ready-to-Eat Trial Sales Strategy

• Applicable scenarios: new-consumption canned, new-spec trial sales, single-person economy, solo dining, camping / outdoor scenarios
• Description: digital print zero plate fees + 200-can MOQ + multi-SKU parallel sampling + small-spec gift box + 3-day sample turnaround
• Structure: small-spec can body (200–500g) + small paper-box outer pack + digital-printed label
• Material: tinplate / aluminum can (small-spec) + white cardboard 300g (paper box) + PSA 80g (label)
• Grammage: can-body tinplate 0.2–0.3mm (small-spec) + paper-box white cardboard 300g + PSA 80g coated paper
• Process: can-body screen print (basic) + paper-box digital print (multi-SKU parallel) + matte lamination + hot stamping (small batch)
• Label: GB 7718 mandatory items + ingredient list + allergens + nutrition-facts panel + production date
• Label detail: brand logo + product name + net weight + ingredient list + production date + shelf life + SC production license + allergens + nutrition-facts panel + producer info
• Why we do it this way: digital print zero plate fees, 200-can MOQ, 3-day sample turnaround. In the early stage of new-consumption canned foods, SKUs change fast (flavor iteration + spec exploration); digital print supports rapid trial sales + multi-SKU parallel validation.
• Best fit: new-consumption canned, new-spec trial sales, single-person economy, solo dining, camping / outdoor scenarios, internet-famous small batches
• Not suited for: stable hero SKUs (should switch to offset for cost), export-compliance packs (require precise multi-language screen print)

Sub-Scenarios

Scenario 1: Meat Canned Packaging

• Description: tinplate can + paper-box outer pack + heat-resistant screen print + GB 7094 compliance + pork / beef / chicken canned

Scenario 2: Seafood Canned Packaging

• Description: tinplate can / aluminum can + seafood allergen declaration + heat-resistant process + fish / shrimp / crab / shellfish canned

Scenario 3: Fruit Canned Packaging

• Description: glass jar / tinplate + gift-box hardcover + additive declaration + yellow peach / mandarin / pineapple / mixed fruit

Scenario 4: Ready-to-Eat / Eight-Treasure Porridge Canned

• Description: easy-open can + corrugated outer carton + complex-ingredient declaration + ready-to-eat scenario fit

Scenario 5: Sauce Canned Packaging

• Description: glass jar + gift-box hardcover + heat-resistant retort + chili sauce / tomato sauce / salad sauce

Scenario 6: Compression-Resistant Outer Carton for Canned E-Commerce

• Description: five-ply corrugated outer carton + can-body divider + glass-jar air-column bag + 1.2m drop test

Applicable Products

Tinplate can, aluminum can, glass jar, easy-open can, paper-box outer pack, corrugated outer carton, five-ply corrugated box, E-flute divider, air-column bag, canned gift box, PSA label