canning

Food preservation in hermetically sealed containers by the application of heat. Originated by Nicolas Appert in France in 1809 with glass containers, it was developed by Peter Durand in England in 1810 with cans made of sheet steel thinly coated with tin to delay corrosion. Cans for beer and soft drinks are now generally made of aluminium.

Canneries were established in the USA before 1820, but the US canning industry expanded considerably in the 1870s when the manufacture of cans was mechanized and factory methods of processing were used. The quality and taste of early canned food was frequently inferior but by the end of the 19th century, scientific research made greater understanding possible of the food-preserving process, and standards improved. More than half the aluminium cans used in the USA are now recycled.