The humble food in a tinned can. How it all started.

[aceplace57]

I had always wondered how and when tinned can food got started.

The story of how the tin can nearly wasn't

Today, billions of cans are sold every year throughout the world

The first mass production of tin cans of food was in a south London factory by Bryan Donkin

Supplied to the Royal Navy in 1813, they changed warfare and, later, exploration and diets

But a food scandal in the 1850s rocked public confidence in this new invention

[silenus]

You, sir, have obviously never watched James Burke.

[gazpacho]

@silenus

You, sir, have obviously never watched James Burke.

The old connections videos are up on youtube if you want to see them.

http://www.youtube.com/feed/UCHzwwF44sysgSyNaLSe5z5w

- YouTube the episode about canning among other things.

[ralph124c]

Interesting…the Franklin Arctic Expedition of 1845 was the first to carry canned food…however, the food was supplied by a crook named Stephen Goldner. There is good evidence that these cans were improperly sealed, and improperly cooked/sterilized…leading to death by botulism poisoning.
I also recall that tinsmiths of the day used all kinds of nasty solders to seal the cans…tin/lead solder, with arsenic as a flux-there was enough lead and arsenic to make the foods pretty lethal!

[hogarth]

@silenus

You, sir, have obviously never watched James Burke.

You stole my comment!