Can the can continue?

Del Monte Foods, one of the largest canned fruit and vegetable processors in the world, filed for bankruptcy earlier this week. The filing aims to stabilize the company with interim financing until a sale of the company can go forward. In addition to the canned goods carrying the 139-year-old company’s iconic logo, Del Monte owns the Contadina tomato brand, College Inn and Kitchen Basics broth brands, and the Joyba bubble tea brand.

Industry analysts say that changing consumer preferences in favor of less processed foods prompted the decline in sales for canned goods. I found it interesting that one described Del Monte products as “preservative-laden canned food” when most of the items the company sells do not contain many preservatives and are among the least-processed foods you can buy. Contandina tomato paste, for instance, has two ingredients: roma tomatoes and citric acid. I’m not an industry expert, but I would wager that penny pinching resulting in shifts to store brands and the fact that most canned vegetables do not taste good contributed to the decline in Del Monte sales more than concern about processed foods.

Regardless of which specific reasons led to the decline, it is safe to say that consumer choices caused this upheaval in a well-established brand. Eating fresh fruits and vegetables is now de rigueur and shipping options allow these products to travel farther and faster to supermarkets. It is easier than ever for most people to find fresh produce. I don’t think I ever saw a fresh pineapple until I was in my 30s, but now even the discount stores around me carry them.

Prior to the dawn of the industrial age, how food was harvested, stored, and consumed did not change much over thousands of years. Innovations like canning and refrigeration made products available around the world that were previously limited to a small region. Entire industries – like the canning industry – sprang up to fulfill demand by consumers who now had a dizzying array of options available to them. Today the pace of change is frenetic, with companies going belly up and new ones being formed overnight. Meal kits like HelloFresh, which would have been a crazy idea 40 years ago, are now commonplace.

Is this bankruptcy a bellwether moment for canned goods? Analysts don’t think they are in danger of disappearing, despite slides in consumer demand and tariffs driving up the cost of steel (at least in the US). However, packaging developments might shift items to different containers, so it is possible cans could be phased out eventually. Grocery store shelves would certainly look different – but then again produce departments look a lot different today than they did 50 years ago.