Why Not All Canned Goods Have Pull Tabs

As you peruse the soup or canned vegetable aisles of the grocery store you have likely noticed that some canned goods have pull tabs while others do not. Pull tabs are generally perceived as an easier and more convenient way to open cans since they don't require the use of a can opener, so why aren't they utilized all the time in food manufacturing? 

It may not surprise you to learn that the primary factor involved here is money. Cans with pull tabs are more expensive. 

They were also invented far later than conventional canned goods and the can opener itself. While the can opener was invented in 1858, it wouldn't be until almost one hundred years later that the pull tab became a thing. In 1963, a Dayton, Ohio native named Ermal Fraze, exasperated after forgetting his can opener at a family picnic and exploding his beer while trying to open it on his bumper, was motivated to develop and patent the pull tab or "pop-top" lid for cans. Despite its ease of access and accessibility, not every manufacturer has incorporated the pull tab due to added cost. 

You might logically infer that Fraze's novel invention would have ultimately rendered can openers obsolete. However, manufacturers realized that sealed cans are simpler to make and therefore cheaper. Canned goods with a pull tab require additional aluminum and steps in manufacturing. While it may not sound like a complicated process, those additional costs get tacked to the sales price at the supermarket.

As such, name-brand and higher-end canned goods typically have pull tabs. However, you're unlikely to see pull tabs on smaller brands or store brands, as these companies are choosing to cut costs for a cheaper product. Likewise, in developing countries, sealed cans are more the norm due to the manufacturing cost coupled with the fact that they hold up better under precarious transport conditions. 

Although Fraze's pull tab may not be found on every canned good these days, one place where you will encounter them everywhere is on aluminum beer (and soda) cans. This is in part due to manufacturer Alcoa and breweries realizing the accessibility of pull tabs. While it's not universal, there's no denying the impact the pull tab has had on the food industry.