I dislike ring-pull (or easy open, EO) food cans with a real passion.
Yet, it would appear that I am in a minority (see end).
I recently asked my Facebook ‘friends’ to vote on the following question:
Ring pulls on tinned goods (e.g. soups, tomatoes etc.)
Like?
No like?
To clarify the question; I meant ring-pull lids on food stuffs – not drinks such as pop, soda or beer. Ring-pulls on drinks are fine, as they have been (over a period of evolution), perfectly designed to replace the old church-key can openers.
Food tin lids however, are a different thing.
They used to be quite dangerous and I was always afraid of cutting myself as the lid came free of the tin. These days however, they are very much safer than they once were – but oftentimes the lid refuses to break free of the tin, making it difficult to remove the contents and more difficult to wash out before recycling.
I know that once the contents have been removed the lid can be pushed inwards quite safely and that that makes it easier to wash out, but even that cannot turn me into a ring-pull (EO) friend.
Why?
Well, it seems impossible to remove the lid completely (to more easily empty out the – usually gloopy – contents without covering myself in the residue that sticks to the lid upon release.
I simply find it impossible to open tomatoes, beans, soups (or most recently, sweetcorn) without blathering myself in some food-based mess!
What am I doing wrong?
Resources
http://www.canmakers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/v2-History-of-the-Can.pdf
“In the UK, the proportion of food cans with EO ends currently stands at 22% (including petfood) ”
https://www.theguardian.com/notesandqueries/query/0,5753,-2096,00.html
Church-key Image:
By Caltrop (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Ring top tins image
https://pxhere.com/en/photo/1152902
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