Why Food Canning is Important to Public Health

What exactly is food? Food is any material consumed to give basic nutrition to an organism. It also consists of the energy supply made available by the food through metabolism. Food is generally of animal, plant or floral origin, and often contains necessary nutrients, including proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, or other minerals. It is the sources of these nutrients that are of major interest to dieticians and nutritionists alike.

People have been eating different foods for a very long time. In prehistoric times people lived in nomadic lifestyles, gathering and eating various foods from around the globe. It is estimated that our ancestors ate about the same amount of foods as they do presently. Because of the differences in cooking techniques and dietary needs over time, however, it is almost impossible to pinpoint exactly what we eat, or when we eat it. Based on evidence found in archeological excavations and writings, however, some healthy foods were eaten by human beings throughout the Paleolithic Era, which began around 2 million years ago. These foods included milk, cheese, honey and fruit, nuts, seeds, fish, poultry and roots.

During the Neolithic Era, also known as the New Stone Age, much more specialized foods were introduced to the human diet. Among these were nuts, grains, roots, vegetables, legumes, tubers, cheeses, cheese, wine and olives. The use of processed grains, cereals, potatoes and sugar became widespread during the latter part of the Neolithic Era. The development of cooking methods, known as Neolithic cooking, could only be implemented after the domestication of animals, such as cattle, sheep and pigs. From the Neolithic period on, domestic animals were largely used for domestic purposes, including milk producing cattle, sheep and poultry. Some crops were even being farmed, such as barley, oats, and sunflowers.

From the beginning of agriculture, around 6000 BCE, domestic plants and animals were being fertilized with the aid of fertility herbs and plants, such as lupins, alfalfa, rye grass, beans and comfrey. These herbs were used to improve the quality of the soils that were being used for cultivation. Fertilization of cereal was also an important way to boost the productivity of domestic crops. With the gradual domestication of wild domestic animals like cattle, oxen and sheep, the use of spices, such as Cayenne, black pepper, turmeric, curry powder, cinnamon and nutmeg, as well as the domestication of crops like tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, peppers, garlic and leek, was also made.

With the development of home canning, food preservation and processing became more convenient. Canned fish and meat, as well as dried and smoked meats and fresh fruits and vegetables were more easily available to people. Although canned meat and fish were more expensive during the early days, today they are more affordable and have become a popular choice for many consumers. Home canning is also now used to preserve other foods, which were once not considered suitable for consumption. Preserved fruits, vegetables, cheeses, soups, salads, meats, snacks and beverages are some of the popular preserved foods. Although the earliest methods of home canning may be dated back to ancient Egyptian times, modern home canning techniques are now used to preserve a wide range of foods.

Food preservation methods developed in the latter part of the 19th century all helped to increase the shelf-life of canned foods, making them more accessible to consumers. Food canning practices had developed into a science with the help of Louis Pasteur's demonstration that sterilization of foods helps to kill bacteria and fungi, allowing them to be stored safely for extended periods. Food canning processes developed to make scanning easier and faster, leading to the development of new products. However, food contamination still occurs, even with modern canning methods. For this reason, it is advisable to stick to trusted brands when canning your food. Also, make sure you read the label carefully - there are a number of cautions for canning food and these must be strictly followed.