“Canned food has been in pantries for more than 200 years. But long before it was a staple on store shelves, it was used to feed armies–Napoleon's Army to be exact. In 1795, a contest was held in France to find a way to make safe, portable food for the army. A confectioner came up with the concept of preserving food in bottles. Before long, the British began preserving food in thick metal cans. In America, canning had a slow start but the 1849 Gold Rush and Civil War contributed to its popularity. A mere 50 years after its development, invention of the can opener made it more convenient. In America's post-WWII economy, rise of the suburbs meant supermarkets, and food with long shelf life became the modern convenience food. But in the 1980s and `90s, canned food suffered an image problem. Once celebrated for its freshness, it was no longer considered so. Now researchers in can technology are offering the self-heating can, self-cooling can, and re-closeable can, among others.”
When:
Saturday 16 May, 2009, 8am (Eastern Time)
Where:
The History Channel (USA)
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