Crown comments come as it launches a new range of coatings and inks for use on jar lids, which its claims offer a number of aesthetic benefits including offering either a sparkling or colour change appearance or the capacity for internal printing.

Speaking at the Interpack trade show, which continues into this week, a Crown spokesperson told FoodProductionDaily.com that the new developments are designed to help processors better differentiate their products from other glass-based packaging.

"It can be difficult to find new ways of pack innovation when using glass," she stated. "These closures, which can be used for both long-term and temporary promotional purposes, can therefore offer an extremely important development to glass packagers."

The cap finishes developed by the company include matte, sparkling and colour-changing lacquers, which the company says are instantly eye catching on retail shelves.

As part of this closure focus, Crown has also developed a special ink that allows printing within the inside of a cap, while also complying with US and EU rules on safety and food contact.

The closures are expected to be particularly successful with Central and Eastern European markets, particularly for sauces and preserves, which rely on the group claims.

Agra Nova, a Poland-based manufacturer of juices, nectars and jams has become one of the first to take up using the products, using the ink to print what it calls 'cultural messages', like trivia on the inside of its caps, in a bid to strengthen its brand appeal, Crown says.

Aside from the aesthetic focus, the company claims that the products can be used on pasteurised products, and are also flexible enough to withstand damage, during forming, transportation, cap application and handling. In some cases, Crown claims the caps can also be used in a sterilised-filling process.

The Crown spokesperson said that the coatings and ink have been developed as a means of stepping up product value, claiming that any costs incurred would be offset by improved consumer appeal.

"With this type of product development, manufacturers looking to reduce costs, may also have to reduce the visibility of their products in doing so," she said.