Self- heating cans poised for commercialization

By Judy Rice

Consolidated Container Co. (Irving, TX) plans to manufacture self-heating cans for the North American beverage and food markets using patented technology from Ontro Inc. (Poway, CA). In Europe, RPC Containers (Corby, Northants, England) will carry the ball for the production of this unique packaging. Prime target markets include ready-to drink coffee, tea, cocoa, cider, and soup (see related article).

Ontro's self-heating container is a 6-layer blow-molded structure composed of a one-piece, seamless, two-compartment body. Heat is generated within the container by means of an exothermic reaction—activated by the mixture of calcium oxide (crushed limestone) and water.

The simple instructions on the container tell consumers to remove the foil tab on the bottom of the can and press down firmly with thumb, activating the heating process; turn the can upright, set it down, and wait 6-7 minutes; then align the plastic overcap guard and pull metal pop-tab.

The containers can be produced in a range of shapes and sizes to meet specific user requirements. Jim Scudder, Ontro president and CEO, told Beverage Online, "Depending on the shape selected, beverage processors will not have to make any major adjustments in their filling lines to accommodate the new containers. The package can handle a gamut of filling methods—cold-fill, hot-fill, aseptic, and post-fill/seal retorting. Typical non-refrigerated shelf life is one year—due to the use of a barrier layer of EVOH. For more than one-year shelf life, the EVOH layer can be thickened."

Asked about the environmental friendliness of the container, Scudder said, "Each container component is recyclable, but the recycling industry currently has no economically feasible way of recycling #3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 plastics—due mainly to low crude oil prices. Still, all materials used in the container are inert and do not contribute to the depletion of the ozone layer."

Beverage Online also asked Scudder whether there is any opportunity for a safety hazard with these self-heating containers if they are mishandled. "As with many products, there are opportunities for safety hazards if the product is not handled according to instructions," responded Scudder. "But Ontro Engineering has developed several safety features. As the result of extensive risk mitigation efforts, these safety features work to prevent misuse of the container."

Ontro Inc. recently received ISO 9001 certification for its internal quality system. The International Standards Organization (ISO) 9001 certification is based on a demonstration of total corporate commitment to quality. Ontro's quality control systems were evaluated in 20 areas—including management responsibility, design control, inspection and testing, handling and storage, delivery, internal quality audits, training, and servicing.

In addition to coffee, teas, ciders and soups, Scudder notes that the container could accommodate alcohol-containing beverages such as hot-spiced wine and hot-buttered rum. He tells us that the first commercial applications of these self-heating containers should be on retail shelves by late 2000 or early 2001—probably as packaging for coffees and soups.

For more info: James Scudder, Ontro Inc. Tel: 858-486-7200; Fax: 858-486-7204.