A method for the production of a nitrided packaging steel from a hot-rolled steel product having a carbon content by weight of 400 to 1200 ppm and the following upper limits for the weight fraction of the alloying constituents: - Mn: max. 0.4 %, - Si: max. 0.04 %, preferably less than 0.02 %; - Al: max. 0.1 %, preferably less than 0.08 %; - Cr: max. 0.1 %, preferably less than 0.08 %; - P: max. 0.03 %, preferably less than 0.02 %; - Cu: max. 0.1 %, preferably less than 0.08 %; - Ni: max. 0.15 %, preferably less than 0.08 %; - Sn: max. 0.04 %, preferably less than 0.02 %; - As: max. 0.02 %, - S: max. 0.03%, preferably less than 0.02%; - Mo: max. 0.05 %, preferably less than 0.02 %; - V: max. 0.04 %; - Ti: max. 0.05 %, preferably less than 0.02 %; - Nb: max. 0.05 %, preferably less than 0.02 %; - B: max. 0.005 %; - other alloying constituents, including impurities: max. 0.05 %, characterised by the following steps: - cold rolling of the steel product into a steel flat product; - recrystallising annealing of the cold-rolled flat steel product in an annealing furnace, in particular a continuous annealing furnace, wherein a nitrogen-containing gas is introduced into the annealing furnace and directed towards the flat steel product to introduce unbound nitrogen into the flat steel product in an amount corresponding to a weight-based concentration of more than 100 ppm or to increase the amount of unbound nitrogen in the flat steel product to a concentration of more than 100 ppm; - wherein the cold-rolled flat steel product is either first heated in the annealing furnace in a first heating step to a holding temperature (T h) below the Ac1 temperature and is held at this holding temperature (T h) in a subsequent holding step in order to apply the nitrogen-containing gas to the cold-rolled flat steel product at the holding temperature (T h) for nitriding, - or the cold-rolled flat steel product is first heated in the annealing furnace in a heating step to a holding temperature (T h) above the Ac1 temperature and is held at this holding temperature (T h) in a subsequent holding step, wherein the cold-rolled flat steel product is exposed to the nitrogen-containing gas during the heating step and/or during the holding step for nitriding, - cooling of the recrystallising annealed flat steel product with a cooling rate of more than 100 K/s immediately after recrystallising annealing, - wherein the flat steel product after cooling has a multi-phase structure comprising ferrite and at least one of the microstructural constituents martensite, bainite and/or troostite and optionally retained austenite, and the tensile strength of the cold-rolled flat steel product is more than 650 MPa and the elongation at break is more than 5%. - cold rolling of the steel product into a steel flat product; - recrystallising annealing of the cold-rolled flat steel product in an annealing furnace, in particular a continuous annealing furnace, wherein a nitrogen-containing gas is introduced into the annealing furnace and directed towards the flat steel product to introduce unbound nitrogen into the flat steel product in an amount corresponding to a weight-based concentration of more than 100 ppm or to increase the amount of unbound nitrogen in the flat steel product to a concentration of more than 100 ppm; - wherein the cold-rolled flat steel product is either first heated in the annealing furnace in a first heating step to a holding temperature (T h) below the Ac1 temperature and is held at this holding temperature (T h) in a subsequent holding step in order to apply the nitrogen-containing gas to the cold-rolled flat steel product at the holding temperature (T h) for nitriding, - or the cold-rolled flat steel product is first heated in the annealing furnace in a heating step to a holding temperature (T h) above the Ac1 temperature and is held at this holding temperature (T h) in a subsequent holding step, wherein the cold-rolled flat steel product is exposed to the nitrogen-containing gas during the heating step and/or during the holding step for nitriding, - cooling of the recrystallising annealed flat steel product with a cooling rate of more than 100 K/s immediately after recrystallising annealing, - wherein the flat steel product after cooling has a multi-phase structure comprising ferrite and at least one of the microstructural constituents martensite, bainite and/or troostite and optionally retained austenite, and the tensile strength of the cold-rolled flat steel product is more than 650 MPa and the elongation at break is more than 5%.