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War! What is it good for? Pt. II: Food
War is undeniably one of the main drivers of innovation over the course of history. Countless consumer goods, indispensable technologies and lifesaving medical procedures stem from conflict or its aftermath.
In Part I we explored advances in medical science.
In Part II we’ll explore how war changed the way we eat and drink.
Preserves and canned food
Napoleon knew that “an army marches on its stomach” so he offered a reward of 12000 francs to whoever could find a method to preserve large quantities of food in such a way that it would not spoil.
Enter Nicolas Appert. The son of innkeepers, he had experience as a cook, a brewer and a confectioner. In 1795 he began experimenting with ways to preserve foods. He cooked meats and vegetables, put them in glass jars, sealed the jars with cork and wax and boiled them. This was decades before the discoveries of Louis Pasteur, so little was known about bacteria and molds. It was assumed that just like with wine, spoiling was caused by contact with air.
After a decade of labor, Appert displayed a selection of his preserved fruits and vegetables. He only received the payment in 1810 after the personal intervention of Napoleon himself.
