History of Microorganisms in Food
5
Food Preservation
1782—Canning of vinegar was introduced by a Swedish chemist.
1810—Preservation of food by canning was patented by Appert in France.
—Peter Durand was issued a British patent to preserve food in “glass, pottery, tin, or other metals,
or fit materials.” The patent was later acquired by Hall, Gamble, and Donkin, possibly from
Appert.
1,4
1813—Donkin, Hall, and Gamble introduced the practice of postprocessing incubation of canned
foods.
—Use of SO 2 as a meat preservative is thought to have originated around this time.
1825—T. Kensett and E. Daggett were granted a U.S. patent for preserving food in tin cans.
1835—A patent was granted to Newton in England for making condensed milk.
1837—Winslow was the first to can corn from the cob.
1839—Tin cans came into wide use in the United States.
3
—L.A. Fastier was given a French patent for the use of brine bath to raise the boiling temperature
of water.
1840—Fish and fruit were first canned.
1841—S. Goldner and J. Wertheimer were issued British patents for brine baths based on Fastier’s
method.
1842—A patent was issued to H. Benjamin in England for freezing foods by immersion in an ice and
salt brine.
1843—Sterilization by steam was first attempted by I. Winslow in Maine.
1845—S. Elliott introduced canning to Australia.
1853—R. Chevallier-Appert obtained a patent for sterilization of food by autoclaving.
1854—Pasteur began wine investigations. Heating to remove undesirable organisms was introduced
commercially in 1867–1868.
1855—Grimwade in England was the first to produce powdered milk.
1856—A patent for the manufacture of unsweetened condensed milk was granted to Gail Borden in
the United States.
1861—I. Solomon introduced the use of brine baths to the United States.
1865—The artificial freezing of fish on a commercial scale was begun in the United States. Eggs
followed in 1889.
1874—The first extensive use of ice in transporting meat at sea was begun.
—Steam pressure cookers or retorts were introduced.
1878—The first successful cargo of frozen meat went from Australia to England. The first from New
Zealand to England was sent in 1882.
1880—The pasteurization of milk was begun in Germany.
1882—Krukowitsch was the first to note the destructive effects of ozone on spoilage bacteria.
1886—A mechanical process of drying fruits and vegetables was carried out by an American, A.F.
Spawn.
1890—The commercial pasteurization of milk was begun in the United States.
—Mechanical refrigeration for fruit storage was begun in Chicago.
1893—The Certified Milk movement was begun by H.L. Coit in New Jersey.
1895—The first bacteriological study of canning was made by Russell.
1907—E. Metchnikoff and co-workers isolated and named one of the yogurt bacteria, Lactobacillus
delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus.
—The role of acetic acid bacteria in cider production was noted by B.T.P. Barker.
5
Food Preservation
1782—Canning of vinegar was introduced by a Swedish chemist.
1810—Preservation of food by canning was patented by Appert in France.
—Peter Durand was issued a British patent to preserve food in “glass, pottery, tin, or other metals,
or fit materials.” The patent was later acquired by Hall, Gamble, and Donkin, possibly from
Appert.
1,4
1813—Donkin, Hall, and Gamble introduced the practice of postprocessing incubation of canned
foods.
—Use of SO 2 as a meat preservative is thought to have originated around this time.
1825—T. Kensett and E. Daggett were granted a U.S. patent for preserving food in tin cans.
1835—A patent was granted to Newton in England for making condensed milk.
1837—Winslow was the first to can corn from the cob.
1839—Tin cans came into wide use in the United States.
3
—L.A. Fastier was given a French patent for the use of brine bath to raise the boiling temperature
of water.
1840—Fish and fruit were first canned.
1841—S. Goldner and J. Wertheimer were issued British patents for brine baths based on Fastier’s
method.
1842—A patent was issued to H. Benjamin in England for freezing foods by immersion in an ice and
salt brine.
1843—Sterilization by steam was first attempted by I. Winslow in Maine.
1845—S. Elliott introduced canning to Australia.
1853—R. Chevallier-Appert obtained a patent for sterilization of food by autoclaving.
1854—Pasteur began wine investigations. Heating to remove undesirable organisms was introduced
commercially in 1867–1868.
1855—Grimwade in England was the first to produce powdered milk.
1856—A patent for the manufacture of unsweetened condensed milk was granted to Gail Borden in
the United States.
1861—I. Solomon introduced the use of brine baths to the United States.
1865—The artificial freezing of fish on a commercial scale was begun in the United States. Eggs
followed in 1889.
1874—The first extensive use of ice in transporting meat at sea was begun.
—Steam pressure cookers or retorts were introduced.
1878—The first successful cargo of frozen meat went from Australia to England. The first from New
Zealand to England was sent in 1882.
1880—The pasteurization of milk was begun in Germany.
1882—Krukowitsch was the first to note the destructive effects of ozone on spoilage bacteria.
1886—A mechanical process of drying fruits and vegetables was carried out by an American, A.F.
Spawn.
1890—The commercial pasteurization of milk was begun in the United States.
—Mechanical refrigeration for fruit storage was begun in Chicago.
1893—The Certified Milk movement was begun by H.L. Coit in New Jersey.
1895—The first bacteriological study of canning was made by Russell.
1907—E. Metchnikoff and co-workers isolated and named one of the yogurt bacteria, Lactobacillus
delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus.
—The role of acetic acid bacteria in cider production was noted by B.T.P. Barker.