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6500 BCE
Saltmines
Around 6500 B.C. salt mines were discovered in Austria. It was also discovered that when salt was added to food it allowed the food to be eaten longer. The reason is that the salt removes the water in the food and the bacteria cannot survive without water so the growth of bacteria is slowed down. -
800 BCE
Ancient Greeks
800 B.C. Ancient Greeks discover that food does not spoil as fast when it is cooled by ice or snow. This early discovery used a method we still use today for many foods in our refigerators to slow bacteria growth in fresh foods. -
cold tempuratures
1803 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 consistently last longer. This was the first use of an ice box. -
Canning
1810 Canning was first invented by a chef in France named Nicolas Appert. He discovered that by cooking foods and sealing it in metal cans, the food would last longer. How this actually works is that cooking the foods kills that bacteria. When the food is sealed in cans bacteria cannot reach the food so it lasts much longer. Many pre-cooked foods like soup, sauces, and vegetables are still canned today. Some uncooked foods are also canned today such as canned fruit.
