Before the advent of canned foods, over the years mankind learnt to store food during the different seasons, using a variety of methods: salt, vinegar, honey, etc.
Considering different specifications (taste changing, high price, etc.), Nicolas APPERT created a process able to preserve the food in 1795, 60 years before Louis PASTEUR and the pasteurisation.
The sterilization process uses heating hermetic containers (the packaging), with a partial vacuum. He supplied his process to Napoléon’s Navy.
The British DONKIN used the same method with metallic box as a container.
Mr CHEVALIER-APPERT 1852 filed a patent for retort (autoclave) manometer.
In 1865, Louis PASTEUR invented the pasteurisation of wine in the first place, this process is used in food preservation, which is heated at a defined temperature (less than 100°C) and time, then quickly cooled. It must be refrigerated at a low temperature between 3° and 4°C.
Advent of metal can seaming at the end of the 19th century:
At the beginning of the 20th century, various regulatory bodies appear that set down the standards of how thermal processes are carried out and monitor the food industry to ensure safety around the World.
BIGELOW & BALL establish new graphic and mathematical methods by setting sterilization scales using calculus’ laws.
In the 70’s, appearance of retortable flexible pouches in the USA.
At the end of the 80’s: evolution of flexible and semi rigid packaging: aluminium foils, paperboard laminates, plastics, etc.