Tinplate undented by price and alternative formats

Increases in the cost of steel have had a major impact, canned food brand-owners admit, but neither this nor continued interest in plastics and carton alternatives has dented their enthusiasm for the can.

With tinplate price increases peaking at 30% in 2009, according to Canned Food UK, this has added to the inflationary mix of cost and exchange-rate factors around the ingredients.

Marketing manager for Heinz Beans John Alderman said: "Of course, if the costs or supply of tinplate altered radically, then it might become uncompetitive. But I don't think that's likely to happen." Along with its supply-chain benefits, he pointed to its "complete recyclability". "I don't see why people would want to move out of it."

Regarding alternatives, he rejected the idea that the can is 'yesterday's format'. "It's today's and tomorrow's format, too," he stated.

Nonetheless, Heinz is investing heavily in its Snap Pot sub-brand: microwaveable beans and pasta in snappable plastic pots, including the Reduced Sugar & Salt variant. Since their launch two years ago, Snap Pots have notched up one third of the value share of Heinz's standard 415g can in the beans sub-category.

At the same time, Sainsbury has become the first retail challenger to the alternative format, with its own-label Snack Pots.

Nor is Heinz the only brand-owner to be experimenting with long-life ambient packaging. Later this year, Princes will seek to seize back the initiative in the fish aisle with the launch of Tuna Bites in Tetra Recart cartons. Princes has already used flexible pouches for added-value fish products.

"Tuna Bites are different to John West's No Drain Tuna," said Princes Foods marketing director Ruth Simpson. "They are predominantly about savoury snacking, and the pack can be stored in the fridge once open."