How Canning Was Invented, and How It Changed

the Way We Eat

Canning: A Gateway to Better Health
Because seriously, when was the last time you considered Louis Pasteur, or how canned
food was discovered? Its been a while. These days were preoccupied by health fads,
gluten-free eating, and vegan alternatives. These concerns might seem overtly
disrespectful to the very chefs, chemists, and creators who created the world we eat in,
but I would disagree.

I would argue that these very comforts are the perfect tribute.

Pasteurized milk dramatically reduced the number of infant deaths, which was about
25% of children prior to pasteurization being adopted, Guy Crosby, Ph.D.; CFS, Science
Editor, America's Test Kitchen; and adjunct associate professor, Harvard T. H. Chan
School of Public Health, told me.
How Canning Came to Be (Yes, Napoleon Was Involved)
But before we dive into the genius of Louis Pasteur or any of the other scientific marvels
Im covering this week, lets start with food preservation.

Conventional canning as we know it today began with Nicolas Appert, the original
food guy. A Parisian confectioner and chef, Nicolas began experimenting with
preservation during the late 1700s, and he successfully preserved foodstuffs, such as
soups, vegetables, juices, and even dairy, more or less. He believed it was the presence
of air that led to spoilage, and many of his early experiments were dedicated to removing
that element.

He was wrong, but he wasnt alone in this way of thinking. In the early 1700s, cooked
meats were preserved over short periods of time by covering them with a layer of fat,
also to protect them from the evils of air, notes Crosby.

But it was Napoleon and the French government that really changed everything. Hoping
to find a more effective way to feed his troops, a prize of 12,000 francs was offered to
anyone who could devise such a means. Continuing with his experiments, Appert
discovered that it was heat (not air) that kept pesky spoilage (caused by microbes,
although he didn't know this) at bay. This was even though the official scientific discovery
of those microbes in relation to food spoilage came some 50 years later. (Thank you,
Pasteur!) But Appert was correct, even if he didnt know entirely why.

Apperts process involved placing food inside glass jars that were then corked, much like
wine, and sealed off with a wax seal. The jars were wrapped in canvas and then boiled.
He submitted his invention to the French government and was announced the winner in
January of 1810, some 15 years after he first began experimenting. That same year
Appert published The Art of Preserving Animal and Vegetable Substances, the first
cookbook of its kind on modern food preservation.
(Image credit: Library of Congress)
The Next Developments in Canning
In 1812 the Englishman Brian Donkin substituted unbreakable tin for the glass," Crosby
explained to me. "And the tin can industry was born when Donkin built his first canning
factory. Gail Borden was the first to adapt this technology in the United States with the
production of canned sweetened condensed milk.

Initially, this process was very slow and labor-intensive, as cans were handmade, and took
up to six hours to cook. This meant canned food was too expensive for ordinary people.
Plus, the can opener wasnt invented for another 40 years, so those cans were a pain to
open anyway.

Canned Food Is a Marvel of Safety & Preservation

While today there are concerns over salt content and toxins, such as bisphenol A, when it
comes to canned food, it is entirely safe.

How safe? In 1974, food samples were taken from cans found on a steamboat which sank
nearly 100 years prior, and found completely safe to eat. Of course, you wouldnt want to
eat it. It looked horrible, smelled worse, and was void of any vitamin content. But you
could!

Canning Food Science Breakthrough #1

So that is why we designated canning as one of the five major food science breakthroughs
we're looking at this week. Without it, the world of food would be a very different place.