Key Breakthroughs in Food Processing Throughout History

There are 5 fundamental needs for human existence including, food, water, shelter, sleep, and love. Water and food, however, tend to be of the utmost of importance. Preserving food has been a battle fought throughout history. What started out as simply drying, curing, and making small batches of consumable foods has blossomed into an ever expanding world of food processing possibilities. Here are some of the most influential breakthroughs in food processing history has given us.

Canning

In 1809 the world was given the gift of truly shelf stable foods through the canning process. Canning is still widely used today to process and preserve virtually all types of foods. This process utilizes thermal heating to ensure food safety. Food lasts for years at a time through the canning process. Apart from the general public, troops throughout the world were provided C-Rations through the 1970s as a means of consumable goods on the battle field. With all of the advancements within the canning industry, however, there remains a negative side.  The excess heat used to can diminishes food’s natural nutritional state and the addition of sodium as a preservative can cause an increase in blood pressure.

Dehydration

Carrying around cans packed in water or oil can add considerable weight to a soldier’s pack, so during the 1970s canned products were replaced with lighter, dehydrated foods. Food dehydration enabled rations to be lighter, but still marginally nutritious for soldiers. Not only did dehydrating foods become common for military use, but used in the space program as well. As more people came to admire astronauts and soldiers, the general public was eventually treated to some dehydrated food offerings as well. Today, these foods are still used for emergency foods for a sustainable food source during natural disasters and backpacking excursions.

Pasteurization

The pasteurization process has been a part of the food industry since the 19^th century, but it was between 1912 and 1937 this process became a true necessity. Diseased cows caused over 65,000 deaths from tuberculosis brought on from drinking raw milk. Pasteurization is another food processing technique that utilizes heat. Milk, dairy, and many other products are heated to 100 degrees C to eliminate microorganisms prone to causing sickness in humans.

What About Today?

All of these food processing practices are still around in some form today, but they all utilize heat as a means of making food safe for consumption. Although it is effective, heat does damage the nutritional value of the food. Food processing is always being reinvented and here at Gentle Processing, we are continuing in our efforts to bring consumers a healthier food experience all around.

Gentle Processing™  is a highly advanced method of food processing that utilizes energy rather than heat. The results have proven to provide an increased nutritional value to foods of all types. Our patented process makes food safe without diminishing any natural nutrition from the product. If you want a healthier experience from your processed foods, trust Gentle Processing™ . We provide nutrition the way nature intended.