Croxsons expands UK access to PVC-free food closures

Croxsons has signed an exclusive distribution agreement with German closure manufacturer PANO Verschluss to introduce its BLUESEAL range of PVC-free twist-off closures to the UK food packaging market.

The partnership allows Croxsons to offer the closures alongside its existing portfolio of glass food jars, providing manufacturers with a complete container and closure solution designed to reduce the use of substances of concern in food-contact packaging.

The BLUESEAL system replaces conventional PVC-based sealing compounds with a thermoplastic elastomer, identified by a distinctive blue sealing ring.

TPE seal removes PVC and plasticisers

The main technical difference lies in the sealing material used inside the twist-off cap.

Instead of PVC, BLUESEAL uses a thermoplastic elastomer that is free from PVC and plasticisers. PANO also positions the system as BPA-NI and PFAS-NI, addressing growing regulatory and brand-owner pressure to reduce potentially problematic substances in packaging that comes into contact with food.

The closure is designed for applications including jams, honey, sauces, preserved vegetables, dairy products, meat, fish and other products packed in glass jars.

Closures support multiple filling processes

The BLUESEAL range can be used across several common food-processing conditions, including cold filling, hot filling, pasteurisation and sterilisation.

PANO states that the closures can operate at temperatures of up to 95°C for hot filling and up to 121°C for sterilisation, allowing the same PVC-free sealing concept to serve a broad range of food categories.

This flexibility is important for manufacturers seeking to change closure chemistry without making major modifications to existing filling and processing operations.

Production emissions reduced by 81%

PANO has also focused on reducing the environmental footprint of closure production.

The manufacturer reports that CO2 emissions per closure fell by 81% between 2011 and 2025. The reduction followed investments in production technology, including the replacement of gas-fired thermal drying with induction and UV-based processes.

The closures are manufactured in Germany using renewable electricity, helping reduce operational emissions associated with the production process.

UK food producers gain access through local distribution

The agreement gives UK manufacturers direct access to the BLUESEAL portfolio through Croxsons, which already supplies glass bottles, jars and closures across food and beverage markets.

For brand owners, sourcing the jar and closure through the same packaging supplier may simplify specification, procurement and compatibility testing while reducing the number of separate suppliers involved in a project.

PANO currently offers more than 80 closure variants and reports annual production capacity of approximately 1.2 billion PVC-free closures.

Food-contact chemistry becomes a greater packaging priority

The collaboration reflects growing attention to the chemical composition of food-contact packaging rather than recyclability alone.

Brand owners are increasingly assessing sealing compounds, coatings, adhesives and inks for substances that may migrate into food or become subject to future regulatory restrictions.

Replacing PVC-based sealing compounds with alternative materials can therefore support both compliance strategies and wider efforts to simplify the chemical profile of packaging.

Closures become part of sustainable glass packaging design

Glass jars are widely recycled, but the environmental and safety performance of a complete package also depends on smaller components such as lids and sealing layers.

By combining recyclable glass containers with PVC-free closures produced using lower-carbon manufacturing processes, Croxsons and PANO are targeting a more integrated approach to sustainable food packaging.

The partnership demonstrates how relatively small components can play an important role in improving the chemical safety, environmental footprint and future regulatory readiness of a complete packaging system.