INTERACTION OF FOOD CONSTITUENTS WITH NOVEL METAL CAN COATINGS

Billions of cans of safe food with extended shelf life reach consumers each year contributing to food security. Though the record of safety for canned foods is exemplary, consumers are demanding the elimination of bis-phenol A (BPA) from can coatings. Consequently, BPA non-intent polymer coatings have been developed. The design and deployment of alternative coatings that can withstand the mechanical and thermal stresses imposed by can manufacturing and thermal processing is a major challenge. BPA-containing epoxy does an exceptional job preventing corrosion of both steel and aluminum regardless of the food, beverage or processing method. Alternatives should not negatively affect public health and safety but there is minimal, readily-available public information on options to inform can coating choices. The overall goal is to reduce the potential for corrosion in canned foods employing BPA non-intent (BPANI) coatings thereby extending product shelf life and improving food safety and security. BPANI coatings systematically varying in their physical properties will be coated on electro-tinplated steel and tin-free steel container materials and the resistance to aggressive food constituents before and after thermal processing evaluated by advanced materials characterization techniques. The outcome will be a fundamental understanding of the properties of polymeric coatings that protect the metal substrate and therefore the consumer.