††††Canning is the preserving of food in sealed containers by the application of heat.
Frenchman Nicholas Appert invented the canning of foods in 1804 and set up the first canning factory. He used glass jars rather than metal tins. Tin cans were patented by Peter Durand in England six years later and became popular towards the middle of the nineteenth century.
The first canning factory was set up in 1811 by Bryan Donkin and John Hall. It was called a "preservatory" and was based on the original invention of Peter Durand.
Modern cans for food are still made of sheet steel thinly coated with tin to delay corrosion. Cans for beer and soft drinks are now generally made of aluminium.
