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The Rise of Canning in WW2

7/2/2019

1 Comment

 
by Neomi Ngo
Picture
Canned foods are a staple in every household. Almost every grocery store has an aisle, or even more, of just canned foods. It seems as though you can put almost anything into a can, from fruits to meats. Canning started hundreds of years ago, primarily in France, but did not reach its peak until World War II.
Canning Began in France
During the French Napoleonic Wars (1803 – 1815), the French government offered a hefty cash award of 12,000 francs to any inventor who could create a cheap and effective method of preserving large amounts of food. In 1809, Nicolas Appert developed the method of sealing food in glass jars, but the Napoleonic Wars ended before his process was perfected.

Canning Moved to the UK and Europe
In 1811, Bryan Donkin developed the process of packaging food in sealed airtight cans made of tinned wrought iron, whereas previously, the process was done with glass jars. Unfortunately, without modern machinery, it was a long and hard process to develop. Additionally, it was an expensive process. Thus, in the mid-19th century, canned foods became a status symbol for the middle to upper class throughout Europe. Later on, with the increasing mechanization of the canning process, coupled with the huge increase in urban populations across Europe, there was a rising demand for canned foods.

Canning Introduced to the United States
Large scale wars in the 19th century, such as the Crimean War, the American Civil War, and the Franco-Prussian War, introduced an increasing number of American working class men to canned foods. 
 
In World War I, the demand for canned foods increased as military commanders needed quantities of cheap, high-calorie food to feed their millions of soldiers. The federal government also emphasized canning as patriotic ventures. Numerous posters were produced emphasizing the correlation between canning and allied victory. During the Great Depression, the canning center movement was accelerated by widespread decreases in farm income, and widespread increases in unemployment across the country.

Canning’s Peak in WW2
In addition to meeting civilian needs, US farms also had to feed the military and the Allies. However, an agricultural labor shortage due to the draft and the internment of Japanese-Americans strained the system. Reducing civilian usage of processed fruit and vegetable products through rationing would help reduce the strain. As a result, there was a mass shortage of food, and people were encouraged to plant Victory Gardens to reduce the amount of processed food needed. Newspapers and magazines published how-to articles, and gardens became popular in backyards, vacant lots, big-city window-boxes, and even on community property. By the end of 1943, Victory Gardens supplied 40 percent of civilian needs for fruits and vegetables.

Throughout World War II, canning became a major focus of the US government. Because Victory Gardens had become such an effective system, women were also encouraged to can the produce grown in their own garden, for preservations’ sake. Canning, like gardening, was presented in official propaganda as a patriotic and unifying act, linking soldiers’ activities to women’s roles in the kitchen. Because of the rise of victory gardens and the Women’s Land Army, both of which promoted and lead women to spend their energy on agriculture, the relationship between victory gardens and canning ensured that just as victory garden yields reached their peak in 1943, so too did canning levels. A poll in January 1944 found that 75 percent of housewives canned, and those women canned an average of 165 jars per year. The USDA estimates that approximately 4 billion cans and jars of food were produced that year. 

Along with the introduction of canning in homes, community canning centers were built throughout the states to further promote and cultivate canning. Canning centers proved effective, and in 1945, the USDA stated that 6,000 canning centers were in operation throughout the United States. The government-sponsored and financially backed these centers, and allowed the USDA to provide instructional and educational supervision. The government released convenient bulletins outlining the canning process, including the use of water baths and low-acid food pressure cookers. It also gave guidance on cooking times and temperatures to preserve various foods, making it easy to follow. 

A home demonstrator from the Extension Services or a locally skilled person was on hand inspecting and instructing customers in canning methods within the facilities. Individuals brought their raw food to the center, paying a small fee or donating a small amount of their preserved food in return for materials use. 

References:
  1. https://www.womenshistory.org/articles/food-rationing-and-canning-world-war-ii
  2. http://www.sarahsundin.com/make-it-do-rationing-of-canned-goods-in-world-war-ii-2/
  3. https://www.nal.usda.gov/exhibits/ipd/canning/exhibits/show/wartime-canning/world-war-ii
  4. https://www.thekitchn.com/breakthroughs-in-food-science-canning-218083
  5. https://www.britannica.com/topic/canning-food-processing
  6. https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-21689069
  7. http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2012/08/02/157777834/canning-history-when-propaganda-encouraged-patriotic-preserves
  8. http://www.history.com/news/hungry-history/food-rationing-in-wartime-america

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1 Comment
Mia Evans link
1/24/2023 03:07:59 am

I never took into account the fact that canning foods has been the focus during WWII which was implemented by the U.S. government. Hopefully, after the years passed, there would be more options regarding that matter such as manufacturers creating additive-free canned meat packs. Finding foods like those might be healthier and safer in the long run when people opt to eat them due to their tight schedules.

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  • Home
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      • Unit 731 - Guide >
        • Background of Biochemical Warfare Development
        • Imperial Japan's Chemical Warfare Development Program
        • Map of Unit 731
        • Personnel of Unit 731
        • Duties of Unit 731
        • Human Experimentation
        • [GRAPHIC] Germ Warfare Attacks
        • Cover Ups After the War
        • [OLD] Cover Ups After the War
      • Philippines' Resistance - Guide >
        • Philippines World War II Timeline
        • The Japanese Invasion & Conquest of the Philippines
        • Bataan Death March
        • Formation of Underground Philippines Resistance
        • Supplies of the Guerrilla Fighters
        • The Hukbalahap
        • Hunter's ROTC
        • Marking's Guerrillas
        • United States Army Forces in the Philippines of Northern Luzon (USAFIP-NL)
        • The Aetas
        • Chinese and Filipino-Chinese Nationalist Guerrilla Units
        • The Female Faces of the Philippine Guerrillas
      • Rising Sun Flag - Guide >
        • History of the Rising Sun Flag
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        • Japanese Occupation of the Philippine Islands: Pinays Answering the Call to Arms
        • The Fierce Heneralas and Kumanders of the Hukbalahap Guerrillas
        • Amazons of the Pacific Theater
        • Filipina American Veterans: Recovering the Extraordinary Feats of the Ordinary Pinays
        • The Legacy of the Asian Women Soldier
      • Fall of Singapore - Guide >
        • Singapore World War II Timeline
        • History of World War II in the Pacific
        • History of Singapore
        • Japan's Conquest in Asia
        • Japan's Invasion of the Malay Peninsula
        • Sook Ching Massacre
        • Double Tenth Incident
        • Social Changes and Challenges in Singapore
        • Voices from Syonan
        • Return to British Rule
      • Three Years and Eight Months - Guide >
        • Hong Kong before WW2
        • Buildup to World War 2
        • The Battle of Hong Kong
        • Life during 3 Years and 8 Months
        • East River Column Guerrilla Fighters
        • Prisoners of War Camps
        • End of Japanese Occupation
        • War Crimes Trials
      • Siamese Sovereignty - Guide >
        • The Land of Smiles
        • The Thai-Japanese Relationship
        • Phibun’s Domestic and International Policies
        • The Free Thai Resistance Movement
        • Post WW2 Aftermath of Thailand
      • The Khabarovsk War Crimes Trial - Guide >
        • Defendants of Khabarovsk War Crime
        • The Japanese Empire and USSR in WW2
        • The Employment of the Bacteriological Weapon in the War
        • Planning of Japan invasion to USSR
      • Unit 731 Cover-up : The Operation Paperclip of the East - Guide >
        • Establishing Manchukuo
        • The Development of Unit 731
        • Plan Kantokuen and Bacteriological Warfare
        • The Downfall of the Japanese WW2 Era
        • Three Stages of Interrogations
        • Lasting Impacts
      • Marutas of Unit 731 - Guide >
        • How did Ishii Shiro start unit 731?
        • A Beta Testing Site
        • Establishing Pingfan
        • Experiences at the Human Experimentation Complex
        • Vivisection at the Unit 731
        • Anta Testing Grounds
        • Overall Advance from the Laboratory Creations
        • The End of the War
      • Prince Konoe Memoir - Guide >
        • Who is Prince Konoe?
        • Preparation to Tripartite Pact
        • Emperor Hirohito and Prince Konoe
        • The End of Prince Konoe
      • Competing Empires in Burma - Guide >
        • What was the China-Burma-India Theater?
        • When did the China-Burma-India Theater Happen?
        • Who Fought in the China-Burma-India Theater?
        • The Second Sino Japanese War
        • Japan in the South
        • Operation U-Go
      • Battle of Shanghai - Guide >
        • The Battle of Shanghai. Background
        • Shanghai Before War
        • The First Battle of Shanghai 1932
        • Battle of Shanghai 1937
        • Aftermath of Battle for Shanghai
      • Ishi Shiro - Guide >
        • History of Biological Weapons and The Young Ishii Shiro
        • Establishment in Manchuria
        • Pingfang District - Harbin
        • Failures and Corruption
        • Post War
      • Taiwan The Israel of the East - Guide >
        • Background of Formosa
        • Industrialization of Japan
        • China During WWII
        • Taiwan under Kuomintang
        • New Taiwanese National Identity
      • Seeking Justice for Biological Warfare Victims of Unit 731 - Guide >
        • Introduction of Wang Xuan
        • Colonel Memorandum
        • The Beginning of Biological Warfare
        • The Bacteriological Warfare on China
        • Victims in Zhejiang’s Testimonies
        • After the War
      • Rice and Revolution - Guide >
        • The French Colonial Period
        • Anti-Colonial Resistance
        • The Rise of the Communist Movement
        • Imperial Japan’s Entry into Indochina
        • The Portents of Famine
        • The Famine (1944-45)
        • Legacy of the 1944-45 Vietnam Famine
      • Clash of Empires - Guide >
        • Japan’s Imperialist Origins
        • Japan’s Competition against the West: Nanshin-ron and Hokushin-ron
        • Japanese Imperialism Through the Lens of French Indochina
        • The U.S.-Japan Relations and the Pearl Harbor Attack
      • Hunger for Power and Self-SufficiencyI - Guide >
        • The Influence of War Rations on Post-War Culinary Transformations
        • How World War II Complicated Food Scarcity and Invention
        • American Military Innovations
        • Government-Sponsored Food Inventions in Europe during World War II
        • Feeding the Army: The Adaptation of Japanese Military Cuisine and Its Impact on the Philippines
        • Mixed Dishes: Culinary Innovations Driven by Necessity and Food Scarcity
    • Lesson Plans >
      • Reparations
      • Ethics in Science
      • Writing the Narrative of a Pinay Fighter
      • Privilege Journal
      • Environmental Injustices
      • Female Guerrillas
      • Hunter's ROTC
      • Scientific Advancements
      • Seeking Justice: A Humanities Lesson Plan
      • The Hukbalahap
      • Trading Immunity
      • Bataan Death March
      • Biochemical Warfare Development
Contribute