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MARKETS
Aerosols Reaching N e w Highs Market analysis shows 9 1 % of American families use aerosols; food field reSativeiy untouched JLN A NATION'-WIDE survey just completed, 9 1 % of the nation's families were found to b e using one or more aerosol products. T h e D u Pont-sponsored market analysis polled 4305 families representing a cross section of purchases by regional, income-level, and age-distribution groups. Results were outlined in a report before the recent New York meeting of the Chemical Specialties Manufacturers' Association. T h e aerosol industry b o m just 9 years ago, is enjoying a steady growth. Chemical industry's stake in t h e dev e l o p m e n t h a s been manufacture of propellants. But volume of insecticides and other specialty chemicals has also been boosted through these media. Sales estimates vary, but D u Pont says 185 million aerosol units with a retail value of nearly^ $200 million were turned o u t last year. A separate survey conducted b y the CSMA estimates something over 169 million aerosol units packed last year. T h e CSMA figures show an increase in units bet w e e n 1951" a n d 1954 of almost fivefold. Today there are more than three times as many types of products available in aerosol packages as in 1 9 5 1 . D u Pont researchers find t h a t insecticides still maintain a sizable lead over all other products as the most frequently p u r c h a s e d aerosol items. T h e CSMA figures for last year showed a tremendous gain in shaving lather units and, in fact, this product is anticip a t e d to outsell combined insecticides this year. C o m p a r i n g results of previous polls, the D u Pont researchers find that in 1951 only 2 % of those interviewed h a d purchased aerosol shave creams; in 1 9 5 3 the figure was 1 1 % , and this year it j u m p e d to 277c of those polled. T h e O u P o n t survey indicates that 76% of the fairiilies interviewed have purchased aerosol insecticides for use against flies, mosquitoes, and other flying insects, while 52 to 5 9 % have tried the three next most popular aerosol products—room deodorants, hair sprays, a n d insecticides for use against crawling insects. A m o n g other aerosol products mentioned specifically in the analysis, arti5518
C&EN
DEC.
19,
1955
ficial snow has been purchased by 3 8 % of those surveyed and moth-proofing sprays b y 3 7 % . F r o m 14 to 1 8 % of those polled have p u r c h a s e d hair dressing, antiperspirants, paints, and lacq u e r s or perfumes and colognes in p u s h button packages. Other preferences: Hand lotions Sun-tan lotions Plastic protective sprays Hair shampoos Burn sprays Athlete's foot remedies
14 8 7 4 3 2
• Food A e r o s o l s . For the year 1949 food aerosols ( w h i p p e d c r e a m ) proba= bly o u t n u m b e r e d nonfood aerosols nearly t w o to one. However, i n t h e following years w h i p p e d cream and toppings have grown at a slower rate so that this year production of such products is estimated a t 60 million units while nonfood aerosols m a y go as high as 2 5 0 million units, says Earl G r a h a m of Crown Cork & Seal Co.
surized food products. of these are physical characteristics such as viscosity a n d gas solubility, biological stability or preservation, economics, and food laws. For example, it is not yet possible in t h e art t o dispense a product from a pressurized container without something being done to its physical state, says Graham. H e cites catsup as an example of a food p r o d u c t for which aeration can be disastrous. On dispensing aerated catsup a foam appears, color a n d texture of which are quite different from the normal tomato product. But this problem may be solved b y an a p proach now being tried on tooth paste. In this case t h e product is encased in an inner plastic container in such a way t h a t while t h e gas pressure forces the p r o d u c t out t h e gas does not come in direct contact w i t h the product. For n e w food aerosols, particularly those reformulated as to introduce a preservation factor, there needs to b e a combination of the techniques of pressure p a c k a g i n g and the newer food preservation m e t h o d s such as aseptic canning. Research and development in this area are under way a n d Graham feels t h e r e may well b e commercial operation combining these technologies in 1956. Availability of suitable liquefied gas propellants is an important factor in the future development of food aerosols. Propellants must b e b o t h compatible with w a t e r base products and acceptable to F o o d and D r u g officials from a public health viewpoint. Even though organic propellants n o w being
Aerosol and Pressurized Products, 1951-54
S p a c e insecticides Shaving lather Room deodorants P i g m e n t e d a n d m e t a l l i c paints R e s i d u a l insecticides ( r o a c h a n d ant sprays, etc.) M o t h p r o o f ers C h r i s t m a s snow (all t y p e s ) Total"
Thousands of Units Packed (Includes Government Contracts) 1951 1953 1952 1954 15,529 38,950 32,128 30,091 24,299 16,682 42,293 7,*287 15,770 17,203 12,410 1,781 8,257 4,487 8,204 6,661 6,427 6,083 169,392
4,451 3,835 8,902 131,315
1,749 1,962
986 804
96,619
34,184
a
Total includes categories not shown here plus estirnatecl figure for companies not reporting in CSMA survey. Source: Chemical Specialties Manufacturers Ass'n, I n c .
Graham in his report before t h e CSMA meeting suggested a large numb e r of food products that might lend themselves to pressurizing. H e r e are some of t h e m : Cake frosting and icing Catsup Cheese spreads Chocolate syrup French dressing
Mayonnaise Peanut butter Salad dressing Soy sauce Liquid butter
There are a n u m b e r of problem areas apparent w h e n considering pres-
used i n nonfood aerosols are considered nonhazardous and nontoxic their use in food products requires a long range evaluation program. The economic factor enters t h e picture of" food aerosol development as in everything else. But G r a h a m feels this may h a v e b e e n overemphasized. T h e success of t h e pressurized w h i p p e d cream toppings has convinced manufacturers that this t y p e of built-in convenience can b e a real sales booster for other food products.
