A tin can, tin (especially in British English, Australian English and Canadian English), steel can,[1] steel packaging or a can, is a container for the distribution or storage of goods, composed of thin metal. Many cans require opening by cutting the "end" open; others have removable covers. Cans hold diverse contents: foods, beverages, oil, chemicals, etc. Steel cans are made of tinplate (tin-coated steel) or of tin-free steel. In some dialects, even aluminium cans are called "tin cans".Tin is a soft, silvery-white metal that is very light and easy to melt. Being so soft, tin is rarely used as a pure metal; instead, it is combined with other metals in order to make alloys that possess tin's numerous beneficial properties. These include a low toxicity level and a high resistance to corrosion.
Tin cans became mass market when the Industrial Revolution made biscuits one of the first industrially made food products. Biscuits were durable, could be made on a large scale by bakeries equipped with new machines and as a relatively clean product, could use a new source of cheap labour –women living in the rapidly growing cities, whose populations also provided a ready market.
Tin cans are ideal for packaging food products. The food is preserved, long-life (air tight packaging) and fresh. The nutritive value remains. Tin cans are also easy to transport, also across longer distances.
Food cans are used for (olive)oils, vegetables, fish, fruit, meat, soup, ready meals and pet food, this particularly because of the good protection of the filling good and the long conservation. Also the packaging of pharmaceuticals in these cans is possible as long as the production meets the legal requirements.
