{"id":49682,"date":"2026-08-16T02:13:26","date_gmt":"2026-08-16T02:13:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cnshining.com\/?p=49682"},"modified":"2026-08-14T02:19:02","modified_gmt":"2026-08-14T02:19:02","slug":"seafood-can-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cnshining.com\/ru\/seafood-can-guide.html","title":{"rendered":"Seafood Can Guide for Fish and Shellfish Packaging"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A seafood can is a protection system, not just a metal container.<\/p>\n

The can body, internal coating, lid, sealing compound, and double seam work together. They block light and external contamination, maintain a hermetic seal, and protect the product during retort processing, transport, and storage.<\/p>\n

Canned seafood includes fish, shellfish, and crustacean products packed in sealed containers and thermally processed to achieve commercial sterility. The product may be whole, sliced, packed as fillets, or processed into chunks, flakes, or shredded meat. Common packing media include water, brine, oil, and sauce.<\/p>\n

Metal cans<\/a> are widely used because they provide a strong barrier against oxygen, moisture, light, and contamination. They also tolerate the heat and pressure used during thermal processing. This allows many seafood products to move through the supply chain without refrigeration.<\/p>\n

Demand for these products continues to grow. FAO data indicates that global tuna trade volume increased by about 28% in 2024, partly due to stronger demand for canned tuna. The United States imported about 230,557 tonnes of canned and prepared tuna during the same year. (\u0438\u0441\u0442\u043e\u0447\u043d\u0438\u043a<\/a>)<\/p>\n

More volume does not make package selection simpler. Fish species, product size, salt level, packing medium, retort schedule, and target shelf life all affect can performance.<\/p>\n

The real question is straightforward: can the complete package protect the actual product under real processing and storage conditions?<\/p>\n

\n\"Assorted<\/a>\n
Assorted metal seafood cans used for fish and shellfish packaging.<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n

1. Common Types of Seafood Cans<\/h2>\n

Different seafood products require different can shapes, filling methods, coatings, and opening systems.<\/p>\n

Common Seafood Can Types and Packaging Requirements<\/caption>
\u041f\u0440\u043e\u0434\u0443\u043a\u0442<\/th>Common Product Forms<\/th>Typical Can Formats<\/th>Main Packaging Requirements<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Tuna<\/td>Solid, chunk, flakes, grated, or shredded<\/td>Round two-piece cans, three-piece cans, bowl-shaped cans, and some oval cans<\/td>Filling consistency, drained weight, sulfide staining, and easy opening<\/td><\/tr>
Sardines<\/td>Whole, headed, gutted, boneless, or skinless<\/td>Small rectangular cans, oval cans, and shallow round cans<\/td>Product presentation, oil oxidation, sulfides, and non-round end sealing<\/td><\/tr>
Mackerel<\/td>Fillets, pieces, or whole fish<\/td>Rectangular, oval, and round cans<\/td>Sauce or oil compatibility, fillet integrity, and easy-open ends<\/td><\/tr>
Anchovies and herring<\/td>Fillets or small whole fish<\/td>Small rectangular and oval cans<\/td>High-salt formulations, shallow presentation, and coating validation<\/td><\/tr>
Salmon<\/td>Chunks, solid pack, skin-on, or bone-in<\/td>Round and shallow round cans<\/td>Large solid pieces, heat penetration, sulfides, and color protection<\/td><\/tr>
Eel<\/td>Pieces, fillets, or sauce-packed<\/td>Rectangular and oval cans<\/td>Sauce compatibility, sugar and salt levels, and product placement<\/td><\/tr>
Crab<\/td>Lump meat, flakes, or body meat<\/td>Round, shallow round, and some rectangular cans<\/td>Meat color, metal-contact discoloration, and suitable liners or coatings<\/td><\/tr>
Shrimp<\/td>Peeled or whole shrimp<\/td>Round and shallow round cans<\/td>Shrimp size, heat penetration, and color retention<\/td><\/tr>
Clams and oysters<\/td>Whole meat, pieces, or smoked products<\/td>Round and rectangular cans<\/td>Salt content, sulfides, smoke flavor, and oil compatibility<\/td><\/tr>
Abalone<\/td>Whole, sliced, or sauce-packed<\/td>Round and shallow round cans<\/td>Product appearance, coating performance, and opening experience<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><\/div>\n

Codex classifies canned tuna into forms such as solid, chunks, flakes, and grated or shredded tuna. Each format creates different filling and drained-weight requirements. (\u0438\u0441\u0442\u043e\u0447\u043d\u0438\u043a<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Canned sardines may be packed in water, oil, or another suitable medium. Codex also requires a can to contain at least two fish from one species. (\u0438\u0441\u0442\u043e\u0447\u043d\u0438\u043a<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Can shape often follows the product. Rectangular and oval cans are well suited to whole small fish and fillets because they provide a shallow display area. Round cans are practical for tuna, salmon, crab, shrimp, and other products packed as chunks or loose pieces.<\/p>\n

2. Can Body Shapes and Construction<\/h2>\n

Seafood cans are generally produced as two-piece or three-piece containers.<\/p>\n

A two-piece can has an integrated body and bottom. Only the top end is double seamed. Common processes include Draw and Redraw, known as DRD, and Draw and Wall Ironing, also called DWI or D&I. Two-piece construction is common for shallow round, rectangular, tapered, and bowl-shaped cans.<\/p>\n

A three-piece can consists of a welded body, a bottom end, and a top end. It provides more flexibility in can height and diameter and works well with established round-can filling lines. The welded side seam requires a suitable repair coating because it remains part of the internal food-contact surface.<\/p>\n

The lid may be a full-aperture easy-open end, a peelable end, or a standard sanitary end. End selection should not be based only on convenience. Opening force, score stability, post-retort panel movement, stacking clearance, edge condition, and seam specifications all need to be checked.<\/p>\n

For non-round cans, corners and changes in panel geometry can affect both opening performance and seam control. Testing should therefore use the actual can shape, lid, seamer, and retort process.<\/p>\n

3. Packaging Seafood in Oil, Water, Brine, and Sauce<\/h2>\n

The packing medium changes the chemical conditions inside the can. A coating that works with tuna in water may not perform the same way with sardines in tomato sauce.<\/p>\n

Coating selection should be based on the complete formulation rather than the seafood species alone.<\/p>\n

3.1 Oil-Packed Seafood<\/h3>\n

Common products include:<\/p>\n