Food Preservation

Around 6500 BC

6500 BCE

Salt mines were discovered in Salzburg, Austria. The for this is because salt removes the water in food. Bacteria cannot survive without water so the growth of bacteria is slowed down.

1990

1990 BCE

Irradiation of foods is approved by USDA. Irradiation is the process of exposing foods to an irradiation field. The foods are considered safe and according to scientists do not absorb any radiation. Irradiation is widely used now on produce such as strawberries, dried spices and poultry.

1969

1969 BCE

The first foods were transported to the moon. The astronauts took freeze-dried foods to the moon. The freeze drying process was the combination of two methods that were found to increase the useful life of food including drying and rapid freezing.

1949

1949 BCE

An inventor from Cincinnati, Ohio develops the first portable refrigeration unit for truck and train cars. The invention allowed foods to be transported without spoiling. This invention also allow chain restaurants and fast-food companies to start.

1925

1925 BCE

Flash-freezing food was developed by Clarence Birdseye. Flash freezing rapidly cools food to a frozen state. This method of keeping food colour to stop the growth of bacteria is an improvement on the original ancient Greek idea.

1864

1864 BCE

Pasteurization is discovered by Louis Pasteur. Pasteur heated foods to a very high temperature and then cooled them quickly. Most of the existing bacteria in the food or drink is killed during pasteurization. Then the food or drink can be sealed or kept cool to last much longer. Drinks like apple juice and milk are pasteurized today.

1810

1810 BCE

Canning was first invented by by a chef in france named Nicolas Appert. he discovered that by cooking foods and sealing it in metal cans, it would last longer. How this works is by cooking foods it kills bacteria. When it is sealed bacteria can not reach the food so that causes it to last much longer.

1803

1803 BCE

It was almost 2600 years after discovering that cold temperatures allowed foods to last longer did people discover that a storage box that was insulated helps all the food in the box helps it to last longer. This was the first use of an ice box.

800 BC

800 BCE

Ancient Greeks discover that food does not spoil as fast when it is cooled by ice or snow. This early discovery is a method that we still use today for many foods in our refrigerators to slow bacteria growth in fresh foods.

Early People

200 BCE

They did not have much knowledge so they used trial and error to learn new things. They discovered that if meat was smoked it would last much longer, than normal meat. The smoking process allowed people to preserve their food longer after hunting or butchering a domestic animal.