Topic > The Canning Process and History of Canned Food

Canning is a process of preserving food in cans or jars in which the food is processed and becomes edible for a long period of time. The food is stored in an airtight container which guarantees its shelf life based on the nutrition preserved and the fiber content available in the food. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Technically, the processes used are highly efficient and universally used. Problems rarely occur during canning, but the important part of canning is providing hygienic food. Problems arise either with the sterilization of containers or its contents or due to the container leaking after closure, allowing infections to occur. If the contained material contains toxins when first added to the can, they will be present when the can is opened. The range of canned products has increased and includes meat and poultry, fruit and vegetables, seafood, milk and preserves such as jams. , desserts, pickles and sauces. Low-acid foods, such as meat, are heated to 240°-265°F; (116°-129°C), while acidic foods, such as fruit, are heated to about 212°F; (100°C). History of CanningCanning Food production began at the time of wars, when it would be easy for soldiers to transport food to war. French pastry chef Nicolas Appert is said to be a developer of the canning process. He was said to have been awarded prize money by the French government to supply canned food to the army. But the slow process of canning the food, which would have required 6 hours of cooking, and the even slower transportation process prevented the Army from shipping, and by the end of the last stage of the process, the wars would have ended. Then slowly this process was carried forward by other European countries and the United States. During the mid-19th century, canned food became the status symbol of middle-class people in European countries. But because spoilage was unknown, the canning process made people worse off. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay A Sudden Rise in the Mechanization of Canning This process, combined with the huge increase in urban populations across Europe, has led to a growing demand for canned food. A series of inventions and improvements followed and by around 1860 smaller machine-made steel cans were possible and the time for cooking food in sealed cans was reduced from 6 hours to 1 hour. The canning process reached the United States where Robert Ayars founded the first American canning factory in New York in 1812, using improved cans to preserve meat, fruit and vegetables. The demand for canned food increased dramatically during the American wars. Urban populations, mainly the working class, required ever-increasing quantities of cheap, varied and quality food that they could keep at home without having to go shopping every day. Existing companies like Nestle, Heinz, Underwood, Campbells have observed the growing demand for canned food and have seized the opportunity and provided quality canned food.