Tests were conducted a few years ago in France by a major retailer, but they were abandoned due to a lack of success. A tinned food manufacturer also launched the "carré cuisiné" range of carton-packaged products in 2004, but these products have yet to become widespread in France.
In October 2011, another big name in supermarket distribution replaced all its own-brand tinned tomato products (purées, coulis, chopped tomatoes, etc.) with cartons. This initiative was followed in September 2012 by the launch of an innovative range of chunky soups sold in the same kind of packaging. Other soups containing noodles or chunks are also available on the market, including some soups for infants.
Cartons are more commonly used in northern Italy (18% of appertised dried vegetables, 13% of other appertised vegetables and 6% of appertised pet food, according to 2012 figures), and in Sweden (21% of appertised dried vegetables, 22% of appertised tomatoes and 14% of appertised sauces, according to 2012 figures), as well as in the UK and Spain. The brands that use this kind of packaging are mainly supermarket own brands aimed at the core market (mid-range products).