HK40007921A - Container with absorptive patch - Google Patents

Description

Container with absorbent patch

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to containers for containing granular or powder products, such as infant formula. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to an absorption vessel including an oxygen and/or moisture vapor absorbing material disposed therewith. The present disclosure also relates to a can end comprising an absorbent material and a method of manufacturing an absorbent container.

Background

There are many products currently stored and sold in containers in granular form. These products include infant formula, flour, coffee, sugar, fortifiers and nutritional supplements (such as protein or dietary supplements). Importantly, manufacturers and consumers prefer products that have a long shelf life or length of time that the product remains usable, suitable for consumption, or marketable. Furthermore, the product degrades over its shelf life; products with a long shelf life maintain high quality longer than products with a short shelf life. In addition to the underlying product stability, many factors affect the shelf life of stored products, including relative humidity, relative oxygen content, temperature, and light. Therefore, containers for storing products should minimize the impact of these factors.

Furthermore, the container should be user-friendly to the end consumer. A user-friendly container is one that facilitates the storage, use, and scooping, measuring, and dispensing of the product contained therein by the end user. User-friendly containers should also minimize the risk of contaminating the product or container components from penetrating into the product and creating a consumer risk to the end user. For example, desiccants that are mixed directly with the product create a significant risk of product contamination or actual consumption.

In addition, the container should be capable of being produced using and compatible with modern container designs, manufacturing processes and materials. Containers formed of plastic and/or metal are commonly used for storing and selling various granular products, particularly in the industrial, food and pharmaceutical industries. For example, modern container manufacturing and product packaging may place a separately manufactured can end or lid on the container before or after filling the container with product. The two-piece metal may be manufactured, for example, by: stamping the can from a metal coil, ironing the can to a longer length and forming an integral bottom can end, cutting the can to length, washing the can, printing and painting the can, baking the can, applying a protective coating to the interior of the can, baking the can a second time, filling the container with product, and placing the top can end on the can.

One way for product manufacturers to extend the shelf life of a product is by removing most of the air from the container after the product is added to create a vacuum, flushing the container with inert nitrogen, and sealing the container. However, residual oxygen is often left in the product and shortens the shelf life of the product. In terms of nutritional ingredients, product lipids, vitamins and probiotics are particularly susceptible to oxidation and, therefore, oxidation of product lipids, vitamins and probiotics by residual oxygen results in the end of the shelf life of the product. Similarly, these probiotic-beneficial bacteria, which are often included in nutritional ingredients, also tend to be moisture sensitive. Therefore, there is a need to better isolate oxygen and/or moisture from the container after addition of the product.

A long and stable shelf life is particularly important in situations where the environment does not allow refrigeration, and also in situations where the product may be exposed to various environments, particularly those associated with tropical climates. Furthermore, oxygen mixed with and contained in the product is challenging for isolation techniques such as vacuum. Ideally, the container should provide a product that has a long shelf life at elevated temperatures (i.e., temperatures of at least about 30 ℃, and up to 40 ℃ and above 40 ℃) during distribution and storage, and isolate oxygen and/or moisture from the container cavity and the product.

Therefore, there is a need for a container that provides a long shelf life, that is easy to incorporate into modern container manufacturing and product packaging, and that is user friendly. Furthermore, there is a need for a method of packaging a product in a container to increase the shelf life of the product.

Disclosure of Invention

In one embodiment, a container includes a sidewall defining an interior chamber and a can end attached to the sidewall. The can end may include a concave recess integrally formed in the can end and opening into the cavity. At least one barrier layer may be disposed between or separate the recess and the chamber. The can end may include a centre on which the recess is provided. An oxygen absorbing material may be disposed within the recess. The oxygen absorbing material may be particulate.

In one embodiment, the at least one barrier layer includes a gas barrier layer and a second barrier layer. The gas barrier layer may face the inner chamber, and the bottom layer may face the recess. The gas barrier layer may comprise or consist of a metallized film having a polymer layer and a metal layer disposed on the polymer layer. The second barrier layer may comprise or consist of an oxygen permeable material. The barrier layer may include a plurality of apertures.

In another embodiment, the can end includes a body having a shallow concave depression. The absorbent material may be disposed within the recess. The absorbing material may absorb oxygen and/or moisture vapor. The barrier layer may cover the absorbent material and be attached to the body. The barrier layer may include a gas barrier layer and a second barrier layer. The gas barrier layer may be formed of a metallized film. The second barrier layer may be composed of an oxygen and/or moisture vapor permeable material.

In one embodiment, the can end includes a body having a middle portion, and a shallow concave depression is located in the middle portion. The body and/or the recess may each have a circular profile. The depression may have a depression depth and a cross-sectional depression length, the depression depth being 1% to 25% of the cross-sectional depression length. In yet another embodiment, the body may have a cross-sectional area and the depression has a depression cross-sectional area that is 2.5% to 50% of the body cross-sectional area.

In yet another embodiment, a method of manufacturing an oxygen absorption type container includes: (a) providing a can end comprising a shallow recess comprising an oxygen absorbing material covered by at least one barrier layer; and (b) securing the can end to the container. The method of manufacture may further include at least one barrier layer to expose the oxygen absorbing material to the interior chamber of the container. In one embodiment, the container is filled with the product after perforation. The perforating of the barrier layer may comprise laser etching at least one hole in the barrier layer. In one embodiment, the barrier layer includes an oxygen permeable layer and a metal layer. The perforations may be characteristic of the metal layer but not of the oxygen permeable layer, thereby leaving the oxygen permeable layer intact.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional elevation view of an embodiment of a container.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional elevation view of an embodiment of a can end.

FIG. 3 is a top view of an embodiment of the can end of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional elevational view of a can end having a package disposed thereon.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional elevation view of an embodiment of a container.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT (S) OF INVENTION

Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the teachings of the disclosure without departing from the scope thereof. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment, can be used with another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment.

It is therefore intended that the present disclosure cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. Other objects, features and aspects of the present disclosure are disclosed in or are apparent from the following detailed description. Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the present disclosure is a description of exemplary embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the broader aspects of the present disclosure.

For purposes of clarity, not all reference numbers will necessarily be present in each figure. In addition, positional terms such as "upper", "lower", "side", "top", "bottom", "vertical", "horizontal", and the like refer to the container when in the orientation shown in the drawings. The skilled person will appreciate that the container may assume different orientations in use.

A cross-sectional elevation view of an embodiment of a container 10 is shown in fig. 1. The container 10 includes a sidewall 12 defining an interior chamber 13. The inner chamber 13 can be filled with the product 11 filling and sealing, for example, granular products such as nutritional ingredients, infant formula or coffee. The interior chamber 13 may have a fluid volume capacity of 500mL to 7000 mL. The sidewall 12 may be substantially impermeable to oxygen. The oxygen impermeable side wall 12 transmits no more than 100 cubic centimeters of oxygen (O) per 24 hours per square meter₂/ m²24 hours). The side wall 12 may be constructed of, for example, high density polyethylene, polypropylene, polycarbonate, or a metal such as aluminum, steel, iron, or tin. The sidewalls 12 may comprise layers of the same or different materials. The side wall 12 is attached to the can end 14 or is formed with the can end 14.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, can end 14 includes a concave recess 16 integrally formed therein. The concave recess 16 may open into the chamber 13. The recess 16 may be located and disposed on the center 28 of the can end 14. The recess 16 may be formed by, for example, stamping, rolling or bulging the recess 16 into the can end 14. The recess 16 may also be integrally formed with, adhered to, or welded to the can end 14.

An oxygen absorbing material 18 may be disposed within the recess 16. The oxygen absorbing material 18 may be, for example, iron powder, ascorbic acid, a photopolymer, an enzyme, or a combination thereof. The oxygen absorbing material 18 may reduce the free oxygen level within the chamber 13 to less than 21%, preferably less than 5%, more preferably less than 1%, most preferably 0.01% or less by volume. The oxygen absorbing material 18 may be included in an amount of 0.1 cubic centimeters to 10 cubic centimeters or 1 cubic centimeter to 5 cubic centimeters.

In one embodiment, a moisture absorbing material 19 may also be disposed within the recess 16. The moisture absorbing material 19 can absorb water in liquid form as well as in wet vapor form so that it is a desiccant. The moisture absorbing material 19 may be, for example, silica gel, clays and minerals, calcium oxide, activated clays, and deliquescent salts such as calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, zinc chloride, potassium carbonate, potassium phosphate, carnallite, ferric ammonium citrate, potassium hydroxide, ferric chloride and/or sodium hydroxide, and combinations thereof. The moisture absorbing material 19 may be included in an amount of 0.1 grams to 10 grams. In one embodiment, a single material is used as both the oxygen absorbing material 18 and the moisture absorbing material 19. The oxygen-absorbing material 18 and/or the moisture-absorbing material 19 may be in particulate form. In particular, the present disclosure may allow for example the storage of probiotics in nutritional ingredient products, which is currently not feasible due to their shelf life in current containers. The present disclosure may also achieve extended shelf life of the probiotics currently included in the nutritional ingredient products.

Additional benefits of including oxygen absorbing material 18 and/or moisture absorbing material 19 include: extending the shelf life of product 11; providing a more consistent quality of the product 11; faster product 11 packaging; preventing the growth of aerobic pathogens and spoilage organisms in the chamber 13; reducing and preventing oxidation of lipids, vitamins and product 11; and to maintain the freshness of the products 11. Longer shelf life is particularly important in tropical countries and for locations where products are placed on shelves exposed to high ambient temperatures and/or high relative humidity.

The recess 16 may be covered by at least one barrier layer 20, such that the oxygen absorbing material 18 and/or the moisture absorbing material 19 is arranged between the recess 16 and the barrier layer 20, and the barrier layer 20 is arranged between the recess 16 and the cavity 13. The barrier layer 20 may comprise a plurality of layers. In one embodiment, the barrier layer 20 includes a gas barrier layer 22 (i.e., an oxygen and/or moisture barrier) and a second barrier layer 24. The gas barrier 22 may be an oxygen and/or moisture barrier, while the second barrier layer 24 may separate the absorbent material 18 from the product 11 while providing a surface on which the gas barrier 22 is disposed. The second barrier layer 24 may be configured to be attached to the can end 14 by, for example, adhering the second barrier layer 24 to the can end 14 (e.g., by a heat seal). The gas barrier layer 22 may face the cavity 13, and the second barrier layer 24 may face the recess 16. The gas barrier layer 22 may be formed of a thin polymer film having a low barrier to oxygen and/or moisture vapor coated with a thin layer of aluminum or other high barrier to oxygen and/or moisture vapor.

The second barrier layer 24 may be composed of an oxygen permeable material, such as an oxygen permeable film or membrane. The oxygen permeable material may be selected from the group configured as: polyolefins (which include low density, linear low density and high density polyethylene (LDPE, LLDPE, HDPE), polypropylene (PP) and biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP), Polystyrene (PS), high impact polystyrene (HIPS, 1, 3-butadiene isomer is added during PS polymerization), Oriented Polystyrene (OPS), poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVOH), poly (vinyl chloride) (PVC) and poly (vinylidene chloride) (PVdC), and poly (tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE)), polyesters like polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) and the relative copolymer PET-PEN); polycarbonate (PC); polyamide (PA); acrylonitrile (like Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and acrylonitrile/styrene (ANS)); polylactic acid (PLA) and combinations thereof. The second barrier layer 24 may also be moisture permeable.

In one embodiment, the gas barrier layer 22 includes a plurality of apertures 26. The plurality of holes 26 may be formed by perforating the gas barrier layer 22 by, for example, laser etching. Laser etching is particularly advantageous because it can be performed accurately at high speed. The laser etching may create a visible pattern or text (not shown) in the gas barrier layer 22 that will be visible to the consumer when the container 10 is emptied, such as text showing the expiration date, the date of packaging, or an image showing a logo. The perforation of the gas barrier layer 22 may only perforate the gas barrier layer 22 leaving the second barrier layer 24 intact. The integral second barrier layer 24 and the perforated gas barrier layer 22 allow the barrier layer to transmit oxygen and/or moisture through the holes 26 and the oxygen permeable bottom layer 24, while the oxygen permeable bottom layer 24 prevents the oxygen absorbing material 18 and/or the moisture absorbing material 19 from coming into direct physical contact with the product 11. Advantageously, by selectively perforating the gas barrier layer 22, the oxygen-absorbing material 18 and/or the moisture-absorbing material 19 is exposed to the interior chamber 13 at atmospheric pressure, while preventing the contents of the shallow recess 16 from coming into direct physical contact with the product 11 stored in the interior chamber 13. A plurality of holes 26 are intentionally formed in the gas barrier layer 22 when filling the container 10 with the product 11.

In addition, can ends 14 having an unperforated barrier layer 20 do not require special packaging or atmospheric storage prior to being perforated. The perforation of the barrier layer 20 may occur before or after the can end 14 is secured to the container 10. The perforation of the barrier layer 20 may occur anywhere from 5 seconds to 1 hour, from 15 seconds to 30 minutes, or from 1 minute to 15 minutes prior to filling the container 10 with the product 11. Advantageously, by perforating the gas barrier layer 22 close to the filling time of the product 11, the useful life of the material 18 or 19 is extended, thereby helping to increase the shelf life of the product 11.

Can end 14 may include a center 28 at which recess 16 is disposed, with recess 16 facing chamber 13. The central position of the recess 16 may improve oxygen and moisture regulation of the chamber 13.

In FIG. 2, a cross-sectional elevation view of an embodiment of can end 14 is shown. Can end 14 includes a body 30 having an inner surface 31. The inner surface 31 includes shallow concave depressions 32. The shallow concave depression 32 may be formed, for example, by stamping, rolling, or bulging the body 30. The oxygen absorbing material 18 and/or the moisture absorbing material 19 may be disposed within the recess 32. At least one barrier layer 20 may cover the oxygen absorbing material 18 and/or the moisture absorbing material 19. The at least one barrier layer 20 may be attached or adhered to the body 30. The can end 14 may include an intermediate portion 34 with the recess 32 disposed on the intermediate portion 34. The at least one barrier layer 20 may be flush with the inner surface 31. A benefit of having at least one barrier layer 20 flush with the inner surface 31 is, for example, consumer preference due to a more pleasing appearance of the product package. Moreover, another benefit of the present disclosure is that by being integrally formed, the shallow depression 32 does not interfere with the interaction of the consumer with the container 10 or product 11, thereby increasing consumer satisfaction, and the materials 18 and 19 within the depression do not require the "no-eat" label required or recommended by certain regulatory government agencies, the absence of which reduces manufacturing costs and produces a more aesthetically pleasing container 10.

In another embodiment, the recess 32 (shown in FIG. 2) or the recess 16 (shown in FIG. 1) has a recess depth 38 and a cross-sectional recess length 40. The recess depth 38 may be from 0.5mm to 10mm or from 1mm to 5 mm. The depression length 40 may be from 1mm to 50mm or 10mm to 40 mm.

FIG. 3 is a top view of an embodiment of the can end 14 of FIG. 2. The body 30 and the recess 32 or recess 16 (shown in fig. 1) may have a body circular profile 36 and a recess circular profile 37, respectively. The concave circular profile 37 may define the intermediate portion 34. The body 30 may have a body cross-sectional area 42. The depression 32 or recess 16 (shown in fig. 1) may have a depression cross-sectional area 44. The depression cross-sectional area 44 may be 2.5% to 50% of the body cross-sectional area 42. The body cross-sectional area 42 and the depression cross-sectional area 44 may vary depending on the container size and the relative amounts of oxygen absorbing material 18 (shown in FIG. 1) and/or moisture absorbing material 19 (shown in FIG. 1) disposed within the depression 32 or recessed pocket 16 (shown in FIG. 1).

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional elevation view of can end 14. The package 46 may be provided on the can end 14, attached to the can end 14, or formed with the can end 14. The package 46 may be positioned on the inner surface 31 in the intermediate portion 34 of the can end 14. The package 46 may have a package cavity 47. Oxygen-absorbing material 18 and/or moisture-absorbing material 19 (shown in fig. 1) may be disposed and/or sealed within the package cavity 47.

The package 46 may include a package wall 48 surrounding a package cavity 47. The bag wall 48 may include an outer bag barrier 50 and an inner bag barrier 52. The pouch outer barrier layer 50 may be comprised of a metallized film, such as an aluminum or polymer film coated with a thin metal (such as aluminum) layer. The barrier layer 52 in the package may be oxygen permeable, moisture permeable, or oxygen and moisture permeable. The in-package barrier layer 52 may be comprised of a group comprising: polyolefins (which include low density, linear low density and high density polyethylene (LDPE, LLDPE, HDPE), polypropylene (PP) and biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP), Polystyrene (PS), high impact polystyrene (HIPS, 1, 3-butadiene isomer is added during PS polymerization), Oriented Polystyrene (OPS), poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVOH), poly (vinyl chloride) (PVC) and poly (vinylidene chloride) (PVdC), and poly (tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE)), polyesters like polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) and the relative copolymer PET-PEN); polycarbonate (PC); polyamide (PA); acrylonitrile (like Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and acrylonitrile/styrene (ANS)); polylactic acid (PLA), spunbond high density polyethylene, polyethers, polyurethanes, polyethylene terephthalate, modified polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, high impact polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, polylactic acid, and combinations thereof. The outer barrier 50 may include a plurality of apertures 26 to expose the oxygen absorbing material 18 and/or the moisture absorbing material 19 (shown in fig. 1) at atmospheric pressure.

Fig. 5 shows a cross-sectional elevation view of an embodiment of the container 10. The container 10 may have a sidewall 12 defining an interior chamber 13. Can end 14 may be engaged with either lower portion 56 or upper portion 57 of container 10. The container 10 may be joined, attached, or formed with the can end 14 by a rolled edge 54. The rolled edge 54 joins a lower portion 56 or an upper portion 57 of the side wall 12 to the can end 14. The rolled edge 54 is a closure member and is formed integrally with the side wall 12 and can end 14. The rolled edge 54 may also be formed as a standard double seam metal can bottom joint. Such a joint may provide a substantially 90 ° engagement between the side wall 12 and can end 14. Can end 14 may include a shallow concave recess 32 having barrier layer 20. The barrier layer 20 may include a gas barrier layer 22 and a second barrier layer 24.

The container 10 may have a container height 58 of 50mm to 300 mm. In one embodiment, the height 58 is 75mm to 250 mm. In another embodiment, the height 58 is 90mm to 175 mm. Can end 14 may have a can end diameter 60 of 50mm to 200 mm. In one embodiment, the can end diameter 60 is 75mm to 175 mm. In another embodiment, the can end diameter 60 is 90mm to 160 mm.

It should be noted that the can end 14 disclosed herein having a recess 16 filled with material 18 and/or 19 will typically be the bottom end of the can, although it may be the top end or both the top and bottom ends. The recesses 16 may be provided on one or more inner surfaces of the side walls 12.

Typically, the container 10 will include a can end 14 as disclosed herein on its bottom end, and the top end of the container 20 will be open, but have an initial seal layer, such as a polymeric film, a heavy foil layer, or a heat-sealed end with a tab or the like, that seals the container prior to use. A cap may be disposed on the upper end of the container to provide a container and closure assembly having a plurality of seals. Thus, the container is sealed while on the shelf prior to sale, and the oxygen absorbing material 18 and/or moisture absorbing material 19 of the can end 14 protects the contents of the sealed container. After sale, the user will open the top end of the can by removing the initial sealing layer, use a portion of the contents, and reseal the top of the can with the lid.

In one embodiment, a method of manufacturing an oxygen absorption type container 10 is disclosed. The method may include providing a can end 14 including a shallow recess 16. Oxygen absorbing material 18 and/or moisture absorbing material 19 may be disposed within recess 16. At least one barrier layer 20 may cover the recess and the oxygen absorbing material 18 and/or the moisture absorbing material 19. In one embodiment, the method includes securing the can end 14 to the container 10. Can end 14 may be secured, for example, by forming a rolled edge 54 at the junction of container sidewall 12 and can end 14. The method may include perforating at least one barrier layer 20 by forming apertures 26 in the barrier layer 20. The perforations may be before the container 10 is filled with the product 11. The perforations may expose the oxygen and/or moisture absorbing material 18 to the interior chamber 13 of the container 10 at atmospheric pressure. The perforations may require partial removal of the gas barrier layer 20 to include a plurality of holes 26 laser etched in the at least one barrier layer 20. The at least one barrier layer 20 may include a metal layer 22 and an oxygen and/or moisture vapor permeable second layer 24. The perforations may be a feature of layer 22 while second layer 24 may be intact. After filling the container 10 with the product 11, the container 10 may be evacuated or filled with an inert gas, and then the other end of the container 10 is sealed for storage. The oxygen-absorbing and/or moisture-absorbing materials 18 and 19 will extend the shelf life of the product 11 in the container 10 when the container 10 is stored prior to initial use by a consumer.

Although embodiments of the present disclosure have been described using specific terms, devices, and methods, this description is for illustrative purposes only. The words used are words of description rather than of limitation. It is to be understood that variations and modifications may be effected by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure, which is set forth in the following claims. Additionally, it should be understood that aspects of the various embodiments may be interchanged both in whole or in part. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the versions contained therein.

Thus, while particular embodiments of the present invention of new and useful containers have been described, it is not intended that such references be construed as limitations upon the scope of this invention except in-so-far as set forth in the following claims.

Claims (20)

1. A container, comprising:

a sidewall defining an interior chamber;

a can end attached to the sidewall, the can end including a concave recess integrally formed in the can end, and wherein the recess opens into the chamber;

an absorbent material disposed within the recess, wherein the absorbent material is oxygen-absorbing, moisture vapor-absorbing, or both; and

at least one barrier layer disposed between the recess and the chamber.

2. The container of claim 1, wherein the at least one barrier layer includes a gas barrier layer and a second barrier layer, and wherein the gas barrier layer faces the interior chamber and the second barrier layer faces the recess.

3. The container of claim 1 or 2, wherein the gas barrier layer comprises a metal layer disposed on a polymer layer.

4. A container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second barrier layer comprises an oxygen or moisture vapour permeable material.

5. The container of claim 2, wherein the gas barrier layer comprises a plurality of apertures.

6. The container of any preceding claim, wherein the can end comprises a centre, and wherein the recess is provided on the centre.

7. The container of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the oxygen absorbing material is particulate.

8. A can end comprising:

a body comprising a shallow concave depression;

an absorbent material disposed in the recess, wherein the absorbent material is oxygen-absorbing, moisture vapor-absorbing, or both; and

at least one barrier layer covering the absorbent material, wherein the at least one barrier layer is attached to the body.

9. The can end of claim 8, wherein the at least one barrier layer includes a gas barrier layer and a second barrier layer.

10. The can end of claim 8 or 9, wherein the gas barrier layer is comprised of a metallized film, and wherein the second barrier layer is comprised of an oxygen or moisture vapor permeable material.

11. The can end of any of claims 8-10, wherein the body includes a middle portion, and wherein the shallow concave depression is located in the middle portion.

12. The can end of any of claims 8-11, wherein the body and recess each include a rounded profile.

13. The can end of any of claims 8-12, wherein the depression includes a depression depth and a cross-sectional depression length, and wherein the depression depth is 1% to 25% of the cross-sectional depression length.

14. The can end of any of claims 8-13, wherein the body includes a body cross-sectional area, and wherein the depression includes a depression cross-sectional area that is 2.5% to 50% of the body cross-sectional area.

15. A method of making an absorbent container comprising:

providing a can end comprising a shallow recess comprising an absorbent material covered by at least one barrier layer, wherein the absorbent material is oxygen absorbing, moisture vapour absorbing or both; and

the can end is secured to the container.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising perforating the at least one barrier layer.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising filling the container, wherein the perforation precedes the filling of the container.

18. The method of claim 16 or 17, wherein perforating comprises exposing the absorbent material to an interior chamber of the container.

19. The method of any of claims 16-18, wherein perforating comprises laser etching a plurality of holes in at least one barrier layer.

20. The method of any of claims 15-19, wherein the at least one barrier layer comprises a metallized film and an oxygen-permeable or moisture vapor-permeable second layer.