LANDMARKS IN THE HISTORY OF FOOD CANNING
The process of canning was pioneered in the 1790s when a French confectioner, Nicolas Appert, discovered that the application of heat to food in sealed glass bottles preserved the food from deterioration.
In about 1806 Appert's principles were successfully trialed by the French Navy on a wide range of foods including meat, vegetables, fruit and even milk.
Parry's tin of roasted veal contained instructions to open the can - "Cut round on the top near to the outer edge with a chisel and hammer".
It was said a good worker could produce four cans in one day. Cans are now manufactured at around 400 per minute.
1815 Canned food reaches Australia
Canned foods were greatly favoured by early explorers. Beginning in 1814 canned foods were sent to distant British colonies.
1840s Canning Commences in Australia
Sizar Elliot was the first food canner in Australia. In 1846 he opened a small canning factory in Sydney's Charlotte Place, now known as Grosvenor Street. By 1869, manufacturers in Queensland were exporting over one million kilograms of canned meat each year. In Victoria, around Shepparton, SPC produced 430,000 cans of fruit in 1917 and in 1925 Ardmona's first year of canning produced nearly 3 million cans of fruit. Edgell & Sons first began canning asparagus in 1926 at Bathurst and Heinz & Company began producing baked beans in tomato sauce at Richmond, Victoria on October 1, 1935.
During World War II the Australian canned food industry expanded rapidly and new products, such as cauliflower, brussels sprouts and whole tomatoes were canned. By 1957 Australia had its own tinplate manufacturing plant. Today some 30 canning companies operate throughout Australia and produce over 1000 different types of canned foods for the Australian market and for export. The estimated retail value is around one billion dollars each year.
HOW FOOD IS CANNED
The processing is rapid and highly mechanised.
Produce is harvested at its optimum maturity and nutritive value. While some fruits and vegetables are hand picked much produce, including peas and tomatoes, is mechanically harvested. All produce is then carefully inspected for quality at the food canning plants.
The product is prepared with minimal, careful handling. Computer controls increase efficiency and product quality.
Various stages include:
Soups and Complete Meals Canning
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| Canning Soup |
The cans are filled with soup and sealed and then sterilised in retorts. These are pressure chambers heated by steam to between 115 and 121°C in which the cans are held for a period of time depending on can size and the type of food being canned.
Labelling
After cooling, the cans are labelled, put into cartons or shrink wrapped and stored on pallets in warehouses, before they are distributed to both domestic and international retail outlets. The cans are left in storage for short periods, to allow time for longer term quality assurance tests to be carried out.
The Can Label
Canners in Australia are bound by the Food Standards Code published by the Australia New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA) which specifies the legal requirements for the labelling of the cans.
This Code specifies that each can label must detail, among other things:
The product name or description
Ingredient listing, in descending order, by weight (except added water which can be listed last)
Additives by name and number
Net weight
Nutrition information panel, if the product makes a nutrient claim
Batch / manufacturing identification
Name and address of the manufacturer.
A "use-by" date for foods with a shelf life of less than 2 years
The Bar Code
Supermarkets in Australia are equipped with laser scanners which can read the bar codes on the can labels. Reading the bar code enables the storeís computers to correctly price the goods for the consumer. Recording the bar code also enables the store's computer to record how many cans and of which variety have been sold for its inventory management. Most of the ordering of canned food stock is controlled by the computer.
QUALITY INSURANCE AND FOOD CANNING SAFETY
Food canning is a long established and well understood technique which has served consumers well for nearly 200 years. It produces shelf stable products that can be stored at ambient temperatures.
How canning protects food
Essentially, food that has been washed and prepared is sealed in a tin coated steel can. The can is then subjected to heat to raise the temperature to a predetermined level for a set period to kill food spoilage organisms and, if present in the food, those pathogens which cause food poisoning. Chemical preservatives are not needed in the food canning process. The minimum temperatures and timings for safe processing have been established by scientific methods and are used by all canning companies.
No chemical preservatives are needed in the food canning process
Because foods stay sealed in the steel can, outside contamination is prevented and the food remains sterile until the can is opened. The contents must then be treated as fresh food subject to normal precautions.
So what could possibly go wrong with canned food?
Once canned food is produced, poor transportation or storage practices might cause problems through denting or damage to the can seams. Resultant leaks could allow contamination to enter the can and the contents to spoil. Poor handling and storage conditions may also result, over time, in rusting of the outside of the can. Normally this is just unsightly but, in extreme cases, may cause leakage.
Fortunately, steel cans are one of the most tamper-evident and safe forms of packaging.
Manufacturers' Responsibilities and Concerns
As with most processed food in Australia, canned food is sold under the names of the manufacturer's or sometimes, a supermarket's brand. Each brand name has an image which reflects the standing of the manufacturer or brand owner in the eyes of the consumer.
The consumer's expectations of the quality and distribution of their products is of vital concern to each manufacturer and brand owner. Enormous damage is done to a brand name if it is associated with food safety breaches.
Food safety is also in the hands of your retailer
The Australian Canning Industry recommends that you check canned foods before you purchase them. Badly dented cans should be rejected and drawn to the attention of the management of the retail outlet. Cans which have stained labels might indicate poor storage practices and a possible leak - these should also be rejected.
Manufacturers and retailers of processed foods, including canned foods must comply with standards and regulations in three tiers of Government in Australia.
The Australian New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA) is a Federal Government agency which publishes the Food Standards Code. This code specifies the standards of composition, permitted ingredients and additives, levels of agricultural residues and labeling provisions. These apply to Australia and New Zealand and are generally consistent with standards of the Codex Alimentarius Commission of the World Health Organisation.
The Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS) regulates and monitors prescribed processed foods (including canned fish, meat and dairy products) at their source of manufacture for export. AQIS also monitors the importation of raw foods and manufactured food products for compliance with the Code.
The State and Territory Governments adopt the ANZFA Food Standards Code by reference into their respective Health Acts. These also contain regulations to cover the hygienic preparation of food for sale and require freedom from contamination. Currently the mechanism for monitoring compliance by food manufacturers varies between the States but ANZFA is developing a National Food Hygiene Standard to create uniformity of scope, interpretation and monitoring. This Standard is included in the new draft ANZFA Food Code.
Local Government has a monitoring role under respective State Health Acts conducted through Environmental Health Officers. They cover all food manufacturing premises and retail outlets.
In large food manufacturing companies, like food canneries, there has been a trend to move away from government regulatory inspection to monitoring quality systems developed by the company. Increasingly, these quality systems are being audited by third party, certifying bodies to international standards such as the International Organisation for Standardization (ISO 9000) series. The benefit for consumers is that, if a quality system is in place, corrective action can be implemented at critical control points more effectively than final product checking either at manufacturing or retail level.
Packaging Materials used in the Canning Process
Food cans are made from a thin steel strip coated electrolytically with a thin layer of tin on both surfaces. In many cases the interior of cans is lined with an organic compound to separate, for example, acid foods such as canned plums and beetroot from the metal to prevent any chemical reaction. A rubber-like compound helps to form a hermetic seal when the bottom and lid are seamed onto the body of the can. All these packaging materials are scrutinised by Australian regulatory authorities before they are authorised for use in Australia. The organic can linings are formulated using internationally recognised technology. The Australian authorities rely on the stringent standards set by the Food and Drug Administration in the United States and the equivalent organisation in the European Union to ensure safe products for Australian consumers.
What makes food canning so safe?
The simplicity of the canning process and the thoroughness of the heat sterilising process mean that incidences of inadequate processing are extremely rare in the production of a billion cans of food a year for human consumption in Australia.
The canning industry was one of the first to adopt the HACCP principles of food safety. H-A-C-C-P stands for Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point. This is a preventative approach identifying potential food safety hazards at various stages of food production, assessing the related risks and employing resources at critical points for effective process control. HACCP, often in concert with ISO 9000 certification of quality systems, helps ensure that canned foods are safe. The degrees to which the canning process is controlled, records kept of parameters at control points and performance monitoring, all contribute to the assurance of safe product, all the time.
HEALTH AND NUTRITION
Some of the good things that come in cans.
In the convenient can you can find the foods that offer protein, fat, and carbohydrate with the necessary energy they produce as well asmicronutrients, vitamins and minerals.
Protein
Found in all canned meats and fish as well as baked beans, salad mixes and the other pulses. The nutritional value of protein is not affected by heat treatment, making the canned varieties convenient alternatives to fresh cooked since they require much less preparation time.
Calcium
Found in canned milk of course and in some canned fish, where the small bones are cooked enough to soften them so that they are eaten with the fish. Often canned fish provides more calcium than freshcooked fish.
Carbohydrate
These starches and sugars, essential for energy, are present in rice, pasta, and fruits found in a wide range of canned foods.
Dietary Fibre
Fruit, vegetables, legumes (beans and pulses), and cereals are all good sources of the fibre essential to our health and wellbeing. The dietary fibre in these products is not affected by the heat process of canning.
Vitamins
Canned fruits, vegetables and legumes are excellent sources of Vitamins. Among the fruit and vegetables that contain Vitamin C are apricots, asparagus, pineapples and tomatoes. Vitamin A, present as carotenes, include B-carotene that is found in carrots. Thiamin, one of the Bcomplex vitamins, is found in canned meat and legumes.
Fats and Oils
Fats are at low levels in most canned foods. Canned, oil-rich fish such as salmon, tuna and sardines are great providers of omega–3 polyunsaturated fatty acids which can help protect against heart disease and the development of inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis. Fish packed in vegetable oil provides an additional source of monunsaturated fats and the polyunsaturates which are critical for the normal growth and development of healthy children.
Folate
Canned and fresh fruit and juices, legumes and green vegetables contain folic acid known to play an essential role in prenatal care and pregnancy. Folate also helps regulate blood pressure and kidney function.
Minerals
Vital minerals are retained during the canning process including the zinc and iron found in canned meats and the magnesium found in fish, meat and legumes. Fruits, vegetables and legumes are all sources of the potassium which together with sodium is needed to regulate fluid retention and positively influence blood pressure and kidney function.
Antioxidants
These are biologically active compounds, naturally occurring in plant-based foods, some of which have the potential to combat harmful free radicals. Unopposed, free radicals can interact with the DNA in the body’s cells, causing changes that have been linked to the processes of ageing and some chronic, egenerative and “autoimmune” diseases. The body usually deals with free radicals using various enzyme systems and specific vitamins such as the Vitamin C, Vitamin E and Vitamin A (as betacarotene) that are found in Australian canned fruits and vegetables.
How canned foods compare with fresh foods
The canning process itself preserves the food, sealing in the freshness, flavour as well as the nutrients. No preservatives are needed. Anything added to canned food is simply there as a flavour enhancer to suit some people’s taste. Salt and sugar are sometimes added but they are not necessary for preservation and a wide range of low or no-sodium and reduced sugar or sugar-free varieties are available if that’s what you prefer. The Australian Government Analytical Laboratories (AGAL) have undertaken major nutritional studies on canned food using methods specified by the Australia New Zealand Food Authority.
There are no practical differences between the nutritional value of fresh and canned foods. AGAL analysed these commonly purchased Australian canned foods. In addition to being nutritionally comparable to their fresh and frozen counterparts, canned foods provide the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients we need at a very competitive cost.
Canned foods and our national Dietary Guidelines
Whether your guide to healthy eating is the Australian Dietary Guidelines or the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating, you will find dozens of delicious canned food varieties to help you plan your meals.
The Dietary Guidelines for Australians
The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) developed the Dietary Guidelines for Australians to provide advice to the general population about healthy food choices, so that their usual diet contributes to a healthy lifestyle. This therefore aims to assist with minimising the risk of diet-related diseases. The Guidelines have been developed specifically for use by healthy adult Australians and apply to the total diet.
1. Enjoy a wide variety of nutritious foods
2. Eat plenty of breads and cereals (preferably wholegrain), vegetables (including legumes) and fruits
3. Eat a diet low in fat and, in particular, low in saturated fat
4. Maintain a healthy body weight by balancing physical activity an food intake
5. If you drink alcohol, limit your intake
6. Eat only a moderate amount of sugars and foods containing added sugars
7. Choose low-salt foods and use salt sparingly
8. Encourage and support breastfeeding.
Guidelines on specific nutrients
1. Eat foods containing calcium. This is particularly important for girls and women.
2. Eat foods containing iron. This applies particularly to girls, women, vegetarians and athletes. Combined with fresh and frozen, canned foods can really help in the management of a healthy, practical meal plan
• Cereals can include canned spaghetti and the rice and pasta found in canned soups and prepared meals and snacks
• Fibre-rich legumes or pulses come in the guise of baked beans as well as single varieties like red kidney beans and the range of salad mixes
• Canned meats and seafood can be added to cooked recipes or salads and there are many new flavours of sandwich tuna varieties to have for lunch or as a snack
• In a can, even milk is always at hand
• Then there is the vast range of canned fruit and vegetables:
The Australian Nutrition Foundation recommends a daily intake of 2-3 serves of fruit and 4-5 serves (at least 2 cups) of vegetables. Cans make this much easier to achieve. There are hundreds of varieties of vitamin- and mineralrich fruit and vegetables to choose from in cans of all sizes - from the ‘big enough for a crowd’ to the handy ‘pop in the lunch box’ snack size.
Available in http://www.cannedfood.org/files/library/pdfs/ Adapted to be posted by Leopoldo Costa.
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