Food Protection Trends - July/August 2024 - 273

Shuang Qiu, Natasha Saikia, and Olga I. Padilla-Zakour*
Dept. of Food Science, Cornell University, Geneva, NY 14456, USA
PEER-REVIEWED ARTICLE
Food Protection Trends, Vol 44, No. 4, p. 273-282
https://doi.org/10.1111/FPT-23-037
Copyright©
2024, International Association for Food Protection
2900 100th Street, Suite 309, Des Moines, IA 50322-3855, USA
New Aluminum Lug Closure Reduces Removal
Torque while Ensuring Hermetic Seals in Glass Jars
ABSTRACT
The development and introduction of a vacuum release
aluminum (VRA) lug closure into the glass jar market
constitutes an important innovation in the food packaging
industry by significantly reducing the torque needed to
remove the lid from the glass jar, thus facilitating jar
opening by consumers. The new lids were compared with
the industry standard, steel lug closures, for sealing
performance and torque removal. Closure of glass jars hotpacked
with deionized water was evaluated by measuring
pull-up, vacuum, security, and removal torque. The effects
of hot-pack temperature from 82 to 93°C and headspace
at 6 and 10% on the integrity and opening of glass
closures were studied. Jars packed with tomato sauce
and capped with both types of lids were evaluated for ease
of opening by measuring removal torque. Performance of
the new VRA lug lids was similar to that of the standard
lids for all parameters measured except removal torque.
Removal torque values for jars sealed with VRA lids were
20 to 51% lower than those for the standard lids.
INTRODUCTION
Food packaging performs the basic function of containing
the food and plays a major role in protecting the food against
physical damage, entry of microorganisms, physiochemical
degradation, and possible tampering. Appropriate packaging
helps to maintain the nutritional quality, safety, and expected
shelf life. Many packaging materials are safe to use in food
applications: metal, glass, plastic polymers, and paper.
Glass containers have a long history in food packaging, with
the first recorded incidence around 3,000 BC. Packaging
production involves the heating of materials, including
sand, limestone, soda ash, and recycled glass, at very high
temperatures >1,425°C (2,600°F) to reach the melting point.
The molten material can be poured into molds to form the
desired shape and size by blow molding (3).
The glass container has three basic parts: finish, body, and
bottom (7). The finish is the top part of the glass container,
which incorporates the opening and engages with the closure
or lid. The three general types of finishes are lug, press-on/
twist-off, and continuous thread. The Glass Packaging
Institute has set standards for dimensions and specifications
*Author for correspondence: Phone: +1 315.787.2259; Fax: +1 315.787.2284; Email: oip1@cornell.edu
July/August Food Protection Trends 273

https://www.foodprotection.org/files/food-protection-trends/jul-aug-24-Qui.pdf https://www.doi.org/10.1111/FPT-23-037

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