Food Safety in the Past

Consumers in the Past

Canadian homemakers used various methods to prepare their food and keep it safe. They had access to reliable information about cooking and cleanliness in the home, thanks to the Women's Institute. This organization was founded in Ontario in 1897, and by 1915 had established branches across Canada.

Courses on domestic science, home economics, food safety and food education were provided at many public schools and colleges for future homemakers. Adelaide Hoodless(the woman who led the movement to have all milk pasteurized) introduced domestic science to school curricula in Canada.

Canning and Pressure Cooking

There were two basic ways to can food at home: cooking the food in a saucepan and transferring it to sterilized jars; or cooking the food after placing it in jars. Unfortunately, home canning did not always kill the bacteria associated with botulism, especially in non acid foods such as vegetables, meat, and fish. During the 1950s, the Canadian government promoted pressure cooking as a better way to preserve foods than canning. The high temperatures created under pressure in this cooking method effectively destroyed the bacteria.

Glass companies produced many sizes of canning jars. Before the advent of frozen foods, home canning was the main way to preserve fruits and vegetables for winter and spring enjoyment.

During the 1930s, some families began to use canning machines. When the crank was turned, a bead of metal formed, sealing the lid to the sides of the can. Most families, however, continued to use glass jars.

A length of cleaned pig intestine is tied over the nozzle of the stuffer. A mixture of ground meat and spices is forced into the casing. The sausage skin serves as a barrier to contamination, and the meat has been salted to delay spoilage. The sausages were either cooked and eaten right away, or smoked for longer storage.

By raising the boiling point of water, pressure cookers increased the food's temperature, cooking it more quickly. A safety valve released steam when the pressure became too great.

Curing Meat

People often dried and smoked meat and fish over a fire. Salting raw meat extends the length of time it can be stored safely. Either dry salt, or wet salt in brine, effectively inhibits the growth of certain harmful bacteria.

Producers in the Past

Foods were packaged in containers which were impervious to contamination: food-grade glass, ceramic, and metal. Canning factories used an industrial pressure cooker or 'autoclave' for processing fruits such as apples.

Grocers and other food retailers kept their merchandise clean and separated. Butchers used sawdust on the floor to enable the surface removal of contaminated material from boots.

Freezing and Drying

During the 1930s and 1940s, scientists at the Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa tested different ways of packaging frozen fruit and of dehydrating vegetables, while retaining their flavour. Sulphur was added to fruit to stop the growth of mold. Vegetables were blanched in hot water or steam. Once dry, the food was stored in airtight containers, usually cans, to protect it from insects.

Foods can spoil if exposed to sunlight, so some fragile items were put in containers made of amber coloured glass. The idea was never very popular for fruit or milk.

Metal packaging was a boon to food producers. It was less fragile than glass, and more hygienic than wood. The top, bottom and sides of this tin, however, are joined together with lead solder.