It was Leonardo da Vinci who first made the town of Sanpellegrino famous, but it's the delicious, thirst-quenching properties of the area's natural mineral water that made the San Pellegrino name famous worldwide. Sanpelligrino Aranciata, a variant sparkling orange beverage of the natural mineral water by the same brand, which has 12-percent fruit juice, is imported from Italy by Nestle Waters North America complete with pulp. Available in 11.15-oz cans, the carbonated orange flavored beverage is topped by a separate foil overlid. Everyone knows that the tops of aluminum beverage cans aren't always the most sanitary; so that's why Nestle Waters Italy covers the cans with the deftly printed foil overlid, which acts as a dust cover and makes the cans look as premium as possible. Securing each can without lifting, the precut, 68-mm embossed foil seal called Eco cap has an easy-removal pull-tab.

The Eco cap lidding is flexo-printed in the same orange, blue, green and black color scheme as the labels on the can body. A lacquer coating adds gloss and protects the ink. The cans are tray-packed and film-wrapped for distribution. The covered-can introduction generated a 30-percent sales increases in Europe, according to Nestle Waters' Italian Business Unit.

As of presstime, Nestle Waters wasn't able to relate supplier details on the Sanpellagrino Eco cap lidding, but does say the lidding has become quite a hit. Notes Joe Juliano of Nestle Waters North America, “Market research shows that the Eco cap lid is receiving a very positive consumer perception and that it conveys a premium image and prevents the can from becoming dirty (therefore allowing you to put your mouth on a 'preserved,' more hygienic surface). In Italy, Sanpellegrino was the first company to launch the Eco cap, and now, competitors are starting to imitate it. We also have very positive feedback from Australian consumers, too because of the hygienic aspects of the lidding.“