History of Food Processing Development

The history of chilled and/or refrigerated foods dates to very early times. The first references are to the use of natural ice used to preserve food products for extended periods of time.

Natural ice was being used even by late eighteen century with salmon being packed in ice for transport to London by 1876, and sea fish from Harwich and Grimsby by the end of the century.

While earliest of biological processing include the production of fermented foods and beverages, even though they pre-date any understanding of the nature of the biological agents or the scientific principles involved. Mesopotamians are often given credit for the first brewing process.

The earliest writings from many part of the world indicate that vinegar, produced from fermentation of apple, grape or other fruits, was already known many centuries BC and that it was widely used to preserve fruits, vegetables, fish and other foods.

Technologies developed in the early and middle 20th century allowed the manufacture and distribution of canned, chilled and frozen foods and furnished consumers with electric-driven refrigerators and freezers.

A patent for use of a commercial refrigeration process for first was registered in 1842. The use of refrigeration to reduce the temperature of food below the point of ice crystallization was developed by Birdseye in the 1920s.

The use of high temperature to produce safe food products dates to the 1790s in France. Napoleon Bonaparte offered a prize to scientist to develop preserved foods for the armies of France.

This offer leads to the research of Nicholas Appert and the commercial sterilization of foods. The technique was invented using glass jars for storage.

In 1810, Peter Durand, and Englishman, proposed the use of tin cans, a method that proved successful.

In the 1860s, Louis Pasteur, working with beer and wine, developed the process of pasteurization.

During the 1830s, preservation techniques for milk emerged, with ‘condensed milk’ being patented in 1835, although diffusion came much later.

All developments in food processing have similar and common origins. One common aspect was that of achieving and maintaining microbial safety in the product.

It was quite evident throughout history that foods without some form of preservation could create illness after consumption.

Considerable time elapsed after these observations before an association with the microbial quality of the product was established.

The second common factor associated with the history of food processing is the interest in extending the shelf life of the product.

In most situations, there is a desire on the part of the consumer to have an opportunity to acquire many of the seasonal commodities on a year round basis.
History of Food Processing Development