Thousands of products line grocery store shelves vying for the attention of shoppers. According to FMI – The Food Industry Association, grocery stores stock more than 33,000 products.

With consumers spoiled for choice and a sea of competing products lining store shelves, it is critical for brands to stand out and quickly catch shoppers’ attention. Quickly as in seconds. An often cited statistic indicates that brands have about 7 seconds to make a first impression.

That’s why product labels are critically important to a brand’s success. Product labels are powerful attention grabbing marketing tools that spark interest in products and influence purchasing decisions.

By communicating the quality and value of products at a glance, product labels create unique opportunities for brands to forge meaningful connections with consumers that shape positive brand perception, increase engagement, and drive sales.

While product labels are the major way brands communicate the ingredients, nutritional value, usage, and safety of products, they can also effectively differentiate brands from their competitors.

A recent article in Supermarket News noted that getting labeling right by spotlighting product claims with messaging such as “organic,” “fairtrade,” “sustainable,” “pesticide free,” and “locally grown” can attract shoppers, enable operators to differentiate products in a crowded sector and boost sales.

Photo by Boxed Water Is Better on Unsplash

As a marketing tool, labels allow brands to call attention to product features that create unique value propositions. For example, labels that highlight the sustainability and accessibility of products can tap into consumer preferences for eco-friendly and convenient products.

Labels that effectively communicate unique product features help brands stand out from the competition and empower consumers to make more informed purchasing decisions. Communicating these unique features at the point of sale can be the difference between a consumer selecting a product or passing it by.

The sustainable, accessible EEASY Lid is a packaging innovation that can help brands align label messaging with consumer preferences and values. Brands that adopt the EEASY Lid can highlight “new easy-to-open, sustainable packaging” on product labels to capture consumer attention and drive sales.

Contact us today to learn how the EEASY Lid can help make your product label an even more powerful marketing tool.

Today, sustainable packaging is not a trend. It is a mandate.

Consumer expectations for sustainable products and evolving regulatory requirements are accelerating brand transitions to sustainable packaging.

Brand progress

Photo by Packaging Dive studioID

New research by Packaging Dive’s studioID reveals that companies are making progress in the shift to sustainable packaging.

According to this research, 47% of leaders surveyed indicated that they changed the packaging of their product to meet Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations.

EPR regulations require manufacturers, producers, and brands to take responsibility for the entire lifecycle of their product packaging, including end-of-life management. These laws aim to reduce packaging waste and promote a circular economy.

As of February 2025, five U.S. states – California, Colorado, Maine, Minnesota and Oregon – have enacted EPR laws for packaging materials. Each state is currently finalizing the specific implementation and compliance timelines of these programs.

The Packaging Dive studioID survey also revealed that external opinions play an important role in driving the shift to sustainable packaging, with 80% of leaders agreeing or strongly agreeing that customers and brand perception have a strong impact on decisions to use sustainable packaging.

Consumer expectations

Photo by Shorr Packaging Corp.

Consumer expectations for sustainably packaged products are influencing their purchasing decisions and reshaping brand loyalty.

Shorr’s 2025 Sustainable Packaging Consumer Report, which surveyed more than 2,000 American consumers, found that 90% were more likely to purchase from a brand or retailer if its packaging is eco-friendly, and over half (54%) of respondents deliberately chose products with sustainable packaging in the past six months.

This survey also revealed that 69% of consumers surveyed expect the brands and retailers they support to offer sustainable packaging by 2025, and 39% of consumers have switched to competing brands because they offer sustainable packaging.

Delivering on the mandate for sustainable packaging with the EEASY Lid

Sustainable packaging is no longer a trend – it’s a mandate. The EEASY Lid can help brands deliver.

Made of recyclable aluminum, the EEASY Lid is a sustainable packaging innovation that allows brands to deliver on consumer and government expectations for eco-friendly packaging. At the same time, the durable EEASY Lid helps brands elevate consumer experience, providing an easy, convenient jar opening experience.

Contact us today to learn more.

It’s February, and that means it’s time for the Super Bowl and the Super Bowl of date nights (otherwise known as Valentine’s Day). With these two occasions coming up, it’s not just time to be thinking about touchdowns, field goals, hearts or flowers – it’s also time to be thinking about food.

Yes, food. Food plays a make or break role in each of these celebrations. Let’s explore this Super Bowl and Valentine’s Day food phenomena in-depth.

The Super Bowl

The Super Bowl is America’s biggest national sporting event, and many of the millions of Americans tuning into the event will be hosting or attending Super Bowl Sunday parties. Data from the National Retail Federation revealed that 113.7 million people plan to throw or attend a Super Bowl party.

With Super Bowl LIX taking place February 9 at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, many hosts will want to bring the taste of that city’s flavorful food to their Super Bowl parties. While hosts might want to cook up a New Orleans-style feast, they don’t want to spend a ton of time in the kitchen preparing this feast.

They don’t have to.

All it takes to quickly prepare some of the rich, flavorful dishes that define New Orleans cuisine is a jar of Chilau Foods’ southern-inspired stew and boil bases topped with the EEASY Lid.

With a push of a button and an easy twist, Super Bowl party hosts can be on their way to quickly making iconic dishes associated with New Orleans. Hosts can score big with guests by preparing Chilau recipes such as Jambalaya with Jasmine Rice Shrimp and Sausage, Creole Style Gumbo, Shrimp and Sausage Étouffée, Crab and Shrimp Seafood Boil, and more.

Super Bowl party hosts who want to spend more time connecting with their guests and watching the game and less time in the kitchen can turn to Chilau’s stew and boil bases topped with the EEASY Lid to save time creating an ideal New-Orleans-inspired spread that party guests will be talking about long after the final whistle.

Valentine’s Day

Next up on the calendar is Valentine’s Day.

Going out to dinner to enjoy a delicious meal is a primary way that millions of people celebrate the day. However, there are many challenges associated with this gastronomic celebration of love, including getting a dinner reservation, enduring a crowded, noisy dining experience, and dealing with sticker shock when it comes time to pay for dinner.

Creating a Valentine’s Day to remember doesn’t have to involve these challenges. Preparing a restaurant-quality meal at home is a great way to celebrate the holiday.

No reservations needed, no crowds and no sticker shock.

Even better, it doesn’t have to take hours in the kitchen to create a meal that is as tasty as going out. With the right ingredients, a homemade Valentine’s Day dinner can be as elevated as any restaurant meal.

For example, a delicious pasta dish is perfect for a cozy, romantic dinner and is easy to prepare with pasta sauces that will make the dish love at first bite.

Guglielmo’s Sauce topped with the EEASY Lid helps even the most novice of chefs to create delicious, satisfying meals without spending hours in the kitchen. The EEASY Lid is part of this time savings, allowing consumers to quickly open vacuum-sealed jars by simply pressing a button on the lid, reducing the amount of torque needed to twist off jar lids by up to 50%.

With the EEASY Lid topped Guglielmo’s Sauce, there is no wrestling with stubborn jar lids to prepare a big, tasty bowl of pasta that will prove the statement “the way to a person’s heart is through their stomach.”

Here’s where consumers can find all of these time saving, magic in a jar cooking products that can elevate any Super Bowl spread, Valentine’s Day dinner and any other meal:

Consumers can find Chilau’s stew and boil bases topped with the EEASY Lid on shelves in more than 250 Meijer stores across the Midwest.

Guglielmo’s Sauce topped with the EEASY Lid is sold in more than 250 grocers across New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, including Wegman’s, Tops Friendly Markets and many independents.

For future date nights, Carmine’s sauces with the EEASY Lid will also soon be available in more than 300 ShopRite grocery stores across the Northeast, including Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, with rollouts in additional grocery stores also coming soon.

Whether it’s Valentine’s Day, Super Bowl Sunday, or any other day, the accessible, sustainable EEASY Lid can make your product a beloved fan favorite with all consumers.
Contact us today to learn more.

CCT’s 16,000 square foot, state-of-the-art technology center located in Dayton, Ohio, is a hub of activity, with a production line capable of producing 800 aluminum lug EEASY Lids per minute – more than 250 million annually.

To meet rising demand for the EEASY Lid, we recently made improvements to our production line, optimizing the manufacturing process to increase efficiency.

Here’s a quick overview of how we achieved that and some photos of the production line in action.

Optimizing the efficiency of our production line starts with our control engineer who automates production line processes to drive productivity, quality, and safety.

We recently added display screens in key locations on the work floor to allow for real-time monitoring of manufacturing processes which helps operators quickly see, identify, and address any production line issues that may arise.

Production line efficiency is further optimized by scroll cutting strips of aluminum to reduce material waste. These strips are fed into a new cup press, which increases the speed and proficiency of forming the EEASY Lids, ensuring the consistent shape and quality of each lid.

A proprietary EEASY lid mobile tester is also increasing production line efficiency, saving time and labor. The mobile tester performs quality control checks of the innovative EEASY Lid technology formed on the lid and is one of the final inspection points before the lids are packed and shipped out on their way to making jar lids easier to open for everyone.

Contact us today to learn more about the EEASY Lid – the only jar lid that truly optimizes the jar opening experience for everyone.

Las Vegas was the place to be in January as the CCT team made an appearance at the Specialty Food Association’s (SFA) Winter Fancy Food Show.

Held from January 19-21 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, the 2025 show gave thousands of buyers and distributors a first look at the products, flavors, and innovations set to reshape retail shelves and menu listings across the country and the world.

CCT joined family-style Italian restaurant Carmine’s at the show following the recent announcement of a partnership aimed at enhancing the packaging accessibility of the restaurant’s signature sauces, which are sold at over 300 stores across the nation. At the show, leading specialty food buyers, distributors, and retailers had an opportunity to see the EEASY Lid in action atop Carmine’s made-from-scratch sauces.

The 2025 Winter Fancy Food Show featured more than 1,100 exhibitors and attracted more than 12,000 industry buyers and professionals, reflecting the strong sales growth of specialty food and beverage products. Sales of specialty products have grown from $88 billion in 2013 to an estimated $207 billion in 2023, an increase of 149%. According to the SFA, “with specialty food and beverages now representing 21.6% of all center store grocery sales in the 63 categories measured by SFA, they are no longer regarded as niche products, but a major driver of growth in the grocery sector.”

The CCT team made the most of its time at the Winter Fancy Food Show, taking advantage of the opportunity to connect with potential partners, meet with qualified decision makers, and increase brand exposure for the EEASY Lid.

The show was not the only place the EEASY Lid appeared in Las Vegas. The EEASY Lid garnered additional exposure with a TV appearance on KLAS 8 News Now. In this local news segment, Michael Ingino, executive chef at Carmine’s Italian Restaurant in the Forum Shops in Las Vegas, highlighted the new partnership with CCT, noting that, with the EEASY Lid now topping Carmine’s line of sauces, it takes about half the strength to open the jars. The interviewer noted that she was excited about the new lid that makes it easier to cook at home.

The partnership with Carmine’s and the appearance at the 2025 Winter Fancy Food Show sets the tone for the year ahead as the EEASY Lid helps more brands to provide accessible and sustainable packaging to consumers across the globe.

Join the movement! Contact us today to learn more.

CCT kicked off 2025 on a high note, recently announcing that legendary New York City Italian restaurant Carmine’s is adopting the EEASY Lid for its line of signature sauces.

Bringing an iconic Italian restaurant and retail brand together with an industry leader in innovative packaging, this partnership helps deliver on consumer expectations for products that feature inclusive and environmentally friendly packaging.

Carmine’s launched its line of fan-favorite signature sauces in four popular varieties in 2021 and currently offers classic Marinara, creamy Vodka, fresh Tomato-Basil, and spicy Fra Diavolo sauces at over 300 retailers across the nation. Cooked in small batches, Carmine’s sauces are the same quality that millions of restaurant-goers have come to love.

Soon to be available in ShopRite grocery stores across the Northeast including Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, Carmine’s sauces topped with the EEASY Lid will provide unprecedented levels of accessibility to Carmine’s sauce lovers in this region.

Commenting on the partnership announcement, Carmine’s CEO Jeffrey Bank said: “Carmine’s was created to bring people around the table for simple yet delicious meals for the whole family. Now with the EEASY Lid, we hope to make that experience even more convenient so that people can recreate the Carmine’s experience at home with ease. We want every day to feel like a Sunday afternoon at grandma’s, and we want consumers to be able to access our sauces effortlessly.”

The EEASY Lid is the “secret sauce” for helping brands like Carmine’s deliver the accessible, sustainable product experience consumers need and want. The patented EEASY Lid reduces the amount of torque, the twisting force needed when unscrewing a lid, by up to 50%. With the EEASY Lid, all it takes is a push of a button and a quick twist for consumers to easily access their favorite jarred products.

The EEASY Lid benefits everyone who struggles to open conventional jar lids and is especially beneficial for the elderly, consumers dealing with ailments like carpal tunnel or tendonitis, and anyone recovering from a surgical procedure. The EEASY Lid is not only an accessible, inclusive packaging solution that helps empower consumer independence, it is also a sustainable packaging option thanks to the revolutionary debut of an aluminum lug lid, a recyclable yet durable and lightweight alternative to traditional tin plate lids.

Contact us today to learn more.

Consumer preferences are continually evolving, making it imperative for brands to keep pace with shifting expectations and demands. This year, food manufacturing leaders will need to monitor evolving consumer preference trends related to sustainability, accessibility, convenience, and loyalty and align their packaging strategies with these trends to drive more revenue.

Sustainability

Consumers’ environmental concerns continue to grow, driving them to actively seek out products with sustainable packaging. Today, consumers don’t just prefer brands to use eco-friendly materials to package their products – they expect it.

According to an Innova Market Insights U.S. Consumer Trends 2025 report, U.S. consumers are taking action toward conscious living. The report notes that “consumers in the U.S. expect companies to operate consciously. They want companies to reduce waste, support sustainable packaging, and take action to protect nature.”

In 2025, brands should make the transition to sustainable packaging, embracing recyclable materials like the aluminum EEASY Lid, which helps divert waste from landfills.

Accessibility

U.S. consumers want to be self-sufficient. Accessible packaging, which is packaging that is easy to use and open for everyone, is critical to helping consumers live more self-sufficient lives.

Many companies are still lagging when it comes to creating packaging that is universally accessible, but there are innovative and effective solutions like the EEASY Lid designed to help brands make the shift to accessible packaging with ease.

Brands that prioritize accessible packaging in 2025 will be well positioned to capitalize on opportunities to expand their potential customer base, increase revenue and build brand loyalty.

Convenience

In today’s fast-paced world, consumers are looking for ways to save time. Many consumers are cooking from home and need product packaging innovations that don’t slow them down in the kitchen.

Today, consumers are equating value with product features that go beyond price. Convenient and sustainable packaging are two value-add features for consumers that are increasingly influencing their purchasing decisions.

Shoppers who find value in convenience want packaging innovations like the EEASY Lid atop their favorite products available on store shelves. In 2025, convenient packaging will be a key differentiator for brands.

Food industry brands that prioritize convenient packaging will have an advantage in attracting and retaining customers as lifestyles get busier and busier.

Loyalty

Brand loyalty among U.S. consumers is increasingly tied to products that provide a great experience. According to research by Medallia, poor experiences drive churn and can cause customers to abandon a brand for good, with one in eight consumers reporting abandoning the brand of their most recent bad experience.

Because packaging is an essential part of the product experience, brands should prioritize packaging innovations that drive and strengthen brand loyalty. The EEASY Lid is packaging that delivers a more sustainable, accessible, convenient experience that can help brands increase loyalty.

Consumer expectations and preferences are ever evolving. Brands that understand consumer purchasing decisions can capitalize on these trends to drive more revenue.

The EEASY Lid is on trend in 2025 and beyond, delivering the product experience consumers want. Contact us today to learn more!

In 2024, influencers shared their experiences with the EEASY Lid, praising how this accessible packaging solution takes the struggle out of opening stubborn jar lids and makes cooking more convenient. Consumer response to these influencers shared a common theme – people want products that are easy to open and wish all jars were topped with this innovative packaging design.

Influencers said:

• “Push, twist, and open is the new happy dance in my kitchen! The revolutionary EEASY Lid makes opening a jar a dream”
• “Not only are Chilau Foods products delicious, but their state-of-the-art EEASY Lid makes these jars so easy to open”
• “Say goodbye to the struggle of opening stubborn jars! Thanks to [Chilau’s] partnership with the EEASY Lid, effortless cooking is just a twist away”
• “The EEASY Lid is not only EEASY to remove, but also easy to put back on the jar”
• “Why the EEASY Lid is so important – this product makes cooking accessible for those with disabilities and handicaps (nearly 1/5 of the population). These lids give people dignity and hope”
• “The beef stock from Chilau Foods is the best of both worlds: it’s tasty and easy to open unlike most glass jars. All you have to do is push the middle of the lid down, twist, and enjoy.”

Consumers responded to these posts with comments like:

• “That is such a cool lid! No husband needed!”
• “Love helpful inventions like this.”
• “That is so cool!!!”
• “Need!!! Where do they sell this?”
• “This is my kind of recipe!! Also love an easy-open jar because…somehow I got old”
• “Oh my goodness why aren’t all jar lids like this? So good!”
• “What!?! So crazy easy!”
• “I have not heard of that jar or that sauce, but I want to try both.”
• “I love the lids.”
• “Lol that’d be perfect if I don’t have to ask fiancé to open tough lids anymore.”
• “I wish that all [jarred] products had an EEASY Lid.”

Read more about regular people’s experience with the EEASY Lid below.

That’s a wrap on 2024.

In 2025, we’ll continue partnering with more brands to get the EEASY Lid on jarred products across the globe to give consumers the easiest, most accessible, and best jar opening experience.

In this blog post, we are excited to share a roundup of CCT’s 2024 media coverage spotlighting our innovative EEASY Lid.

This year, CCT and the EEASY Lid were well represented in the media across packaging industry trade publications and mainstream news outlets. This coverage illustrates how CCT and the EEASY Lid are continuing to lead media conversations around sustainable, accessible packaging and how this packaging is helping brands capture more market share.

From new partnerships to market expansion to announcements, each article sheds light on how the EEASY Lid is revolutionizing packaging.

Below are some of the media coverage highlights of 2024. Please click on each logo to read what media outlets are saying about CCT and the EEASY Lid:

Chilau Foods Turns to Crowdfunding to Expand Distribution, Cracks Lid on Packaging Innovation

Chilau Foods Opens Crowdfunding Round

Accessible Lidding Your Partner Won’t Have to Open for You

Best in New Food and Beverage Packaging April 2024

The Ultimate Summer Product Roundup for 2024: Add a Little Zing to Your Summer!

Chilau Foods Adopts Its EEASY Lid for Better Accessibility

EEASY Lid Brings Accessibility to Customers in Spain & Latin America

CCT Partners with Broker to Bring EEASY Lid to Customers in Spain and Latin America

CCT’s Aluminum Lug Jar Lid a Perfect Choice for the Food Packaging Industry: New research

“The EEASY Lid is the World’s First Aluminum Lug Jar Lid,” Brandon Bach, President of CCT

CCT To Showcase EEASY Lid at PLMA Show

PLMA show celebrates ‘The Store Brands Phenomenon’

Michael Anderson of Chilau Foods: 5 Things You Need to Create a Successful Food or Beverage Brand

We look forward to advancing more newsworthy partnerships and initiatives in 2025, so watch this space for the latest updates!

This year was filled with notable partnerships, initiatives, and market expansions that elevated and amplified awareness of CCT and the EEASY Lid. As we move closer to 2025, let’s revisit some of the exciting announcements and events from 2024.

CCT Kicks off the New Year at the 2024 Winter Fancy Food Show

CCT kicked off 2024 at the Specialty Food Association’s Winter Fancy Food Show in Las Vegas. More than 12,000 retailers, distributers, importers, and investors attended the show, which is aimed at helping pre-qualified buyers in the food and beverage channel discover innovative new products and packaging.

The EEASY Lid drew interest from many leading buyers who were interested in seeing the latest innovation in accessible, sustainable packaging. The CCT team capitalized on this opportunity to network, build new business relationships, and strengthen existing relationships.

The EEASY Lid Makes its Debut in the Western United States

In early February, CCT debuted the EEASY Lid atop Chilau Foods’ line of southern-inspired stew bases at the KeHe Summer Show in Salt Lake City, Utah.

KeHE Distributors, a distributor of natural and organic, specialty, and fresh products in North America, hosts this invite-only Summer Show that gives new brands access to exclusive connections and partnerships that expand the reach of their products.

New to the show this year was an Innovation Pavilion, which showcased the 2024 On Trend Award winners – sixteen brands expected to lead upcoming food industry trends. Chilau Foods was the On Trend Award winner in the “For the Pantry” category based on selection criteria that included innovation, ingredients, taste, packaging and salability.

CCT Connects with Key Buyers at the KeHe Holiday Show

The revolutionary EEASY Lid was once again showcased atop Chilau’s Southern-inspired stew and boil base products at the KeHe Holiday Show in June.

The show, which attracted thousands of attendees representing natural food stores, chain and independent grocery stores, and e-commerce retailers, provided the CCT team with additional opportunities to connect with key buyers and increase brand awareness.

The EEASY Lid Hits Store Shelves in the Midwest

In June, Chilau’s products topped with the EEASY Lid became available to customers in more than 250 Meijer stores across the Midwest.

That was great news for shoppers in the region looking for bold, ethnic flavor profiles to spice up meals and accessible packaging that makes meal prep easier and more convenient.

Meijer shoppers in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Kentucky can now purchase Chilau’s products to make their favorite stews and boils without the obstacle of opening a stubborn jar lid.

Spain and Latin America Market Expansion

CCT kept the momentum going in July by announcing a broker partnership that will bring the EEASY Lid to customers in Spain and Latin America.

CCT is partnering with Ur Bofill, a fifth generation packaging expert and founding partner of Vemsa 1857 Packaging Solutions, S.L., to help expand EEASY Lid availability to customers in these markets.

CCT’s partnership with Bofill is welcome news for brands looking for ways to make their products stand out on grocery store shelves in Spain and Latin America. Adopting the EEASY Lid will allow brands in these markets to increase market share among Spanish and Latin American consumers who are seeking more convenient, accessible, and sustainable products.

Peer Reviewed White Paper Finds the EEASY Lid Reduces Jar Removal Torque While Maintaining Sealing Performance

In July, CCT announced the results of a study of the EEASY Lid conducted by Cornell University’s Department of Food Science and published as a peer reviewed white paper in Food Protection trends. The study found that:

• The EEASY Lid delivered a hermetic seal comparable to jars with the standard steel lug closures, meaning the EEASY Lid does not affect sealing performance.
• Removal torque values for jars with the EEASY Lid were 20% to 51% lower than those for standard lids, meaning the jars with the EEASY Lid were easier to open.

The EEASY Lid is widely recognized in the market today as an accessible, safe packaging solution. That market validation is supported by this study, which verifies the ease of opening and sealing performance of the EEASY Lid.

CCT Showcases the EEASY Lid at the Private Label Trade Show

CCT showcased the EEASY Lid at the Private Label Trade Show presented by the Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA) in November.

The record-breaking trade show drew more than 15,000 attendees including retailers, wholesalers, distributors, and other visitors eager to learn about the latest store brand trends and source new and innovative products and packaging.

As the premier event for store brands, the Private Label Trade Show offered an ideal platform to showcase the EEASY Lid and highlight how this packaging innovation can take private label products to the next level.

Looking ahead to 2025, more new partnerships and initiatives will expand availability of the EEASY Lid across the globe. Next year promises to be another exciting year for CCT and the EEASY Lid – we can’t wait for what’s next.