What Are Tin Foil Candy Wrappers Made Of?

"Tin foil" candy wrappers are actually made of aluminum.

Despite the common moniker, tin foil is not used to wrap candy. Rather, foil candy wrappers are made from aluminum, the silver foil that replaced tin foil.

Purpose

Metal foil is used for flexible packaging because it offers a better barrier to moisture and gases than any single paper or plastic material, with a luster and color that signals quality to consumers.

Misconception

Metal foil has been around for centuries, and tin foil was the foil in use at the beginning of the 20th century. However, it had a tendency to leave a tin taste on the foods it covered. Even though aluminum foil had almost completely replaced tin foil by mid-century, the former name persists.

Development

Production of aluminum foil began around 1903 in France, by Gautschi, but modern manufacture began with the patenting of the continuous rolling process by Robert Victor Neher in 1910. The same year, he opened the first aluminum rolling plant in Kreuzlingen, Switzerland. In 1913, commercial production of aluminum foil began in the United States. The foil was used to wrap Life Savers, candy and gum.

References

• "Handbook of Package Engineering, 3rd Edition"; Joseph F. Hanlon, Robert J. Kelsey and Hallie E. Forcinio; 1998
• Aluminum Foil: History of Aluminum Foil
• Washington Post: Tin, Aluminum, Chromium
• AluminumFoils: History of Aluminum Foil
• Alufoil: 100YearsAlufoil