food preservation
WWII issues
Japan overran southeast Asia -world's tin resources -US gov't restrictions on canners as result -opened door for frozen foods -grocers filled empty space with frozen food storage --> frozen foods became savior lol
Clarence Birdseye: life in Labrador
observed Eskimos freezing duck and caribou winter freezing of food vs. spring freezing --> better quality "My contribution was to take Eskimo knowledge and the scientists' theories and adapt them to quantity production."
beginnings of frozen foods: Incas
stored foods at high altitude reduced atmospheric pressure water dissipated better than at sea level foundation for freeze drying
other early methods: Vikings
laid fish in riggings of their ships to let sea wind dry their fish
Appert's canning process: foods first canned
meats gravies fish veggies (peas, onions, asparagus, spinach, etc) fruits (currants, cherries, nectarines, etc) milk, eggs, cream
evolution of canning: Peter Durand
British inventor 1810: invented the "tin can" led to modern day process
other early methods: early North American Indians
"pemmican" remove fat, cook meat, then grind fat and meat into a paste prevented deterioration important for fur traders during 17th-19th centuries
Mesopotamia: first evidence of ovens
"tannur" ovens beehive in shape, stood upright made out of clay and gypsum withstand temps up to 850C used to cook grains and breads --> used commonly to dry & smoke fish so that they could be pressed for oils
Appert's canning process: steps
1. cook (boil) the food 2. place cooked food in jars 3. cork jars 4. water-bath to boil jars containing the food 5. remove product after set period of time and cool
Clarence Birdseye: major contributions
1. importance f rapid freezing of food -> significance of small ice crystals 2. retail consumer packaging
beginnings of frozen foods: China
1000 BC first to freeze foods outside of winter ice cellars
evolution of canning: John Hall and Bryan Dorkin
1813: opened first commercial canning factory in England
evolution of canning: Henry Evans
1846: invented better machine (US?) -> made 60/hr today's machines make ~2000/hr
Clarence Birdseye: background/early life
1886: born in Brooklyn--spent summers on large family farm on Long Island, loved outdoors, spent time in fields or at seashore --> noticed large number of muskrats in the area and trapped them for a customer in England at 10 yrs old and eventually bought shotgun with profits --> studied and practiced taxidermy as youth Moved to Montclair, NJ 1908: graduated high school
Clarence Birdseye: fur business
1912: left government work to go on 6-week cruise of Labrador waters with famous medical missionary, Sir Wilfred Grenfell learned of profits to be made from furs and left expedition and spent next 5 years traveling by dog sled collecting furs
Clarence Birdseye: marriage
1915: married Eleanor Gannett 1916: moved wife & 5-week old son to Labrador...3-room cabin, 250 miles from nearest doctor
Clarence Birdseye: back to US
1917: moved back to US 1922: started wholesale fish business --> experimented with freezing fish 1923: with $7 purchased electric fan, buckets of brine and cakes of ice 1924: founded Birdseye Seafoods --> consumer skeptical of frozen food b/c old method gave poor quality, so he sold to schools & hospitals and gave as food for soldiers 1924: 1st company ended in bankruptcy
Clarence Birdseye: General Foods Company
1924: General Seafood Company along with financial partners organized General Foods Company developed series of quick freezing devices "Quick Freeze Machine": -packaged fresh food in waxed cardboard boxes -2 metal belts, 15m freezing tunnel -salt solution sprayed on belts -resulted in 1st commercially practical freezer
Clarence Birdseye
1930: Father of frozen foods didn't invent frozen food process but improved it and made it successful
Clarence Birdseye: Birds Eye foods start-up
1930: first sold in 18 stores in Springfield, MA -> 27 items: veggies, fruits, fish, meats 1934: test market in Rochester, NY 1930s: not highly successful b/c retailers were unwilling to spend money for frozen food storage and consumers were hooked on canned foods -> institutional sales were primary market: foodservice, railroads, steamships 1934: Birdseye began making frozen food display cases 1944: leased first insulated railroad cars (nationwide distribution was made possible) 1940s: frozen foods on brink of failure (WWII times)
freeze drying: freeze-dried coffee
1938: created by Nestle in response to excess Brazilian coffee --> Nescafe intro'd in Switzerland --> Taster's Choice (James Mercer, 1966-1971, Hills Bros)
Clarence Birdseye: innovations
1950s: TV dinners 1960s: "lean years" - diet craze hit America, slowed sales of frozen foods 1970s: creative marketing -> Lean Cuisine -> Weight Watchers thus, the microwave oven was invented
Clarence Birdseye: legacy
1956: died of heart attack @ 69 years old ashes scattered at sea off the coast of MA Numerous inventions: procedure to dehydrate food, paper pul from sugarcane residue over 300 patents
other early methods: Rome
1st preserved ham
Appert's canning process: success
7 years of factory work before sending samples for Napoleon's army was personally awarded 12,000 francs by Napoleon
Clarence Birdseye: background/early twenties
Amherst College: money was tight so trapped & sold black rats to geneticist at Columbia U and sold live frogs for reptile food to Bronx Zoo 1910: money grew tighter so left Amherst to work (1941: Awarded honorary M.A. degree) took job as naturalist with USDA's Biological Survey -birds, etc from NM and AZ, ticks from Rocky Mtns became interested in fur business
Nicolas Appert
French chef, confectioner, and distiller answered Napoleon Bonaparte's for effective preservation method came up with canning process--recognized excluding air was v critical
Clarence Birdseye: selling General Foods Company
He neeeded capital to properly develop frozen food industry 1929: sold for $22 million to Postum Cereal Company but retained 49% -> took the name "General Foods Corporation" -> changed "Birdseye" brand to "Birds Eye" 1932: sold final 49% to General Foods His share was just under $1 million and remained as director of research
evolution of canning: John Mason
Philadelphia tinsmith 1858: invented the "Mason jar", led to home canning also called "Ball jar" b/c Frank and Edmund Ball discovered Mason's patent had expired but "Ball" no longer exists b/c Ball (and Kerr) jars are made by Mason
other early methods: Pompeii
jars of fruit preserved in honey
Mesopotamia: early beer and wine
added important proteins and nutrients to diets very low in alcoholic content soil bacterium streptomyces produces tetracycline, used to make beer ancients used beer to treat infections large doses of tetracycline found in African Mummies shows they were aware of medicinal value
Clarence Birdseye: weird appetite
ate almost anything starlings, blackbirds, whale, porpoise, lynz, beaver tail, polar bear "I'll tell you one thing. The front half of a skunk is excellent." (1915)
Appert's canning process: legacy
canning sometimes referred to as "appertization" statues of Appert are numerous highest award from Institute of Food Technologists is called Nicolas Appert Award ($5,000 award) 72 streets in France named for Appert, 1 in Canada commemorated on French stamp in 1955 2010 was declared Nicolas Appert Year by French ministry of culture
Egyption food preservation: beer, wine, fish, meats
common stable of Egyptian diet evidence of beer dates back to 4000 BC fermentation was "discovered" not "invented" so get beer from bakeries breweries (& bakeries) were complex structures wine produced only for elite fish and meats preserved by drying and some salting
Appert's canning process: cork and bottle design
created strong corks that supported inside and outside of bottle -- made glue out of isinglass to join pieces of cork together & created large, strong corks to withstand heat and pressure mixed quicklime and water for sealant -- smeared on top of corks to prevent air from entering bottle used glass bottles with wide necks to permit many foods bottles had rims so lids could be placed on top
early methods of food preservation
drying salting fermentation
Mesopotamia: wine evidence
earliest wine making evidence dates back to 6000 BC, shows viticulture spread to Egypt
evolution of canning: US
early 1820s: canning came to US original cans were very thick manufactured at rate of 6/hr
food preservation issues from second revolution, 1795
food not provided to French armies across Europe, restricted by "traditional" food preservation not being adequate Napoleon Bonaparte knew feeding army was crucial to conquering neighbors so offered price of 12,000 francs for effective preservation method
why most significant changes in food pres has happened in past 200 years
heavy influence from science and conflict
Eqyptian food preservation: grains and cereals
primarily storage and drying (silos) fear of the Nile not flooding regularly and crops not being nourished storage facilities were located throughout communities for distribution storage and drying processes provided distinguished jobs
basic history of food preservation
use to inhibit spoilage (microbial, oxidation, insects, etc) as old as human civilization drying foods dates back to ancient times by 1000 BC Chinese were using salt and smoking (still widely used by explorers & military forces, lasted into 20th century otherwise)
beginnings of frozen foods: Greeks & Romans
used compressed snow in underground cellars under cool water
freeze drying: WWII development
used for preserving blood plasma & penicillin
freeze drying: Incas "technology"
vaporization of water (low pressure) traditional freezing -> ice crystals, water removal
Mesopotamia: first narratives of food preservation
writing first developed in this region in late 4th century, showing evidence of ration lists, food distributions and grain inventories -> narratives passed on about preservation methods
