The thirst for canned drinks is stronger than ever among both brands and consumers, as industry reports continue to indicate sustained growth across the beverage canning sector.

Fibre laser coding for the beverage industry

Market background

The thirst for canned drinks is stronger than ever among both brands and consumers, as industry reports continue to indicate sustained growth across the beverage canning sector. The global market for canned beverage reached 245 billion units in 2015, representing 23% of packaged beverage. That figure is forecast to reach 278 billion units by 2020, equating to a 2.4% increase since 2015. Among the top canned beverage producing countries are the USA, Japan, China, Brazil, UK, Spain and Canada, which combined account for 73% of global production. Clearly, drinks manufacturers and brewers continue to recognise the benefits of beverage cans, influenced also by consumers’ preference for canned beer and soft drinks over other types of beverage packaging.

The need for traceability

This sustained growth will be a driving factor behind manufacturers’ choice of beverage processing equipment, which also includes coding and marking systems. Traceability and item identification are vital in canned products. The ability to identify the origin of a canned beverage is a key requirement, which is why every canned item must be assigned a unique identifier in the form of a human and machine-readable code that is read and recorded at all stages of its progress throughout the supply chain. Traceability codes play a key role in identifying, recalling or withdrawing faulty products. They also empower consumers by giving them the opportunity to access targeted and accurate information concerning the products they buy

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