The KlearCan concept by Kortec made a strong showing at Interpack in May 2014, and shortly afterwards it was announced that US company Milacron had bought Kortec.
The retortable Klear Can is a co-injection moulded propylene EVOH can offering a two-year shelf life. A major selling point is that it uses the same filling, seaming and retorting machinery as metal cans, so minimal downstream investment is required. Manufacturers have the option of moulding cans at the filling site. Klear Can is sealed with industry standard can ends (double seam process).
Milacron has now also introduced the option of in-mould labelling, and was demonstrating this at K.
PKN caught up with Steve Morris, VP and GM of Milacron Systems, at the K show, who said that Klear Can will soon be seen on store shelves in test markets in China, following the securing of the company's first commercial contract with a fruit processor (whose name he was not at liberty to mention). He did share that the cans would contain tropical fruit.
Morris said the company had been overwhelmed by the enquiries at K, and was speaking to converters, co-packers and retailers with interest in the can for both fruit and vegetables.
He said that although the Klear Can will launch with the industry standard 73mm can, the technology is incredibly flexible to allow for new sizes, shapes and form factors.
