Third Grade
Worksheets
Nicholas Appert: Inventor of Canned Food
Canned food is convenient. We can eat green beans in the middle of winter. We can eat canned pineapple that is grown far away from where we live. Before canned food, people grew their own food in gardens. What food they could eat depended on the season. People in cities had to shop almost every day to have fresh food. It was a small problem for most people. It was a huge problem for armies. About two hundred years ago, Napoleon was the leader of France. His armies tried to take over much of Europe. A reward of a large amount of money was offered to an inventor who could think of a way to keep food from spoiling.
A man named Nicholas Appert invented a glass jar with a lid that could be sealed. Food that was cooked and stored in these jars could last for weeks without spoiling. Appert won the prize. He used the money to build a factory for preserving food. A little later, tin-coated metal was invented. Cans made of this metal were cheaper than glass jars. They didn't break, either! Today, many foods are canned. Why does canning food keep it from spoiling?
Food spoils when germs grow in it. Germs grow best when food is warm and moist. Air also helps most germs to grow.
