How Does Canned Food Last So Long? | Earth Science

[@luthfurrahman7890]

People on the production line deserve credit. Hard work being on the production line not as seen on TV.

[@adammousa2455]

They used the bond music for the "spy" can. Chill out folks

[@MLB9000]

They’d have ‘bean’ better off using the can-can, but maybe that would have been too ‘corny’.

[@SpinoRexy733]

Well canning is serious business after all!

[@jasonforster9445]

Underated comment. Thank you Sir.​@@MLB9000

[@TrapGod_JackofAllTrades]

I think it is an adorable touch

[@karstenvonfjellheim5321]

And this is why you can eat from a can, without heating it first

[@fidelcatsro6948]

Unless its made by cheap makers who may not heat it up like that

[@TimvanHelsdingen]

@@fidelcatsro6948 every product maker will, because cost of spoilage outweigh cost of heating a can.

[@jonjohnson2844]

True, but why would you want to?

[@ROGER2095]

Plus, cold baked beans are delicious!

[@wl03bu]

It took me so long before I realized everything that came out of a can was sterile! I used to think eating cold canned ravioli was dangerous.

[@Boy10Dio]

unbelievably clean and simple solution to preservation.

[@ArinJager1]

as it's been perfected over the last couple centuries or so... (you do NOT want to be a poor sailor in the 18 hundreds getting a lead poisoning, because somebody thought making cans out of it was a good idea)... Still prefer home canning/jarring/bottling, tho' (it just... has heart and soul, I duno... I like glass more, is all, it just breaks, tho', unlike the can, I guess)

[@kunntz]

The host can now say; "Bean there, done that.." 😉

[@terrytytula]

What I'd really like to know is how they keep the pasta in cans from dissolving.

[@Nirvaanthregoat]

Okay

[@IyalagoFAC]

The canned food goes though what they call a "botulinum cook" to kill one heat resistant bacteria's spores, without overcooking the product. In other words cooked at the right temperature, for a right amount of time, to kill bacterial spores and at the same time prevent the product from overcooking.

[@terrytytula]

@@IyalagoFAC Thanks for your reply, but that's not what I see as the issue. The question I have is how can the pasta hold it's integrity and not dissolve in a can for years. Even if you cook it right as you stated, it's still in a liquid sauce.

[@BigSplenda1885]

@@terrytytula the answer is because the can is vacuum sealed, so isn't exposed to air...the pasta will remain the same as it was when it was sealed, other than the heat cooking it

[@BltchErica]

@@BigSplenda1885 I'm pretty sure he's wondering how the pasta doesn't end up being so soggy it's practically dissolved, which I've also wondered, and I think the answer is the recipe of the pasta, I'm not sure what it's made of but they probably have a recipe that helps it keep structure better in a can.

[@ALAPINO]

FINALLY, the production team over at Jimmy's Food Factory had the bright idea to have isolated mics under monitors (presumably for two-way comms). Audio is loud environments is always a pain in the arse to mic up.

[@bmwnasher]

Recommended a BBC series called inside the factory a fascinating insight on how food is processed.

[@potatok123]

Did anyone realise at 0:13 the music was “Can Can”?

[@BlackBirdNL]

They explained the thermometer in a can procedure three times in a row.

[@NathanTheNinjaTaylor]

To be fair, validation is a lot more than just "thermometer in a can procedure" I work for the company that makes those dataloggers, and it's probably the entire full time jobs of the people on camera here to manage the collecting of the data that comes from those loggers, so it makes sense that they'd want to talk about it, but the majority of the info would go over most people's heads so it gets edited out of a 4 minute KZbin vid lol

[@harveyharrison3840]

0:33, go into slow mo and you can see the guy almost drop a tin but then catch it from the production line

[@ArinJager1]

have you seen how fast these move, or...? just be glad he did catch any at all and didn't lose an arm doing it

[@petrbarton7897]

One of my favourites when i really don't feel like doing anything. Pop a can, roast a kielbasa with onions, two bread rolls. All you need for quick and easily dinner or lunch.

[@luism8612]

What is wrong with you? Sicko

[@SproutyPottedPlant]

Every can in the kitchen is safe? Not in Ashen's kitchen there not 😀

[@JJones-gw9vy]

"Oh God these beans look like something out of your Nan's catheter bag"

[@BlakieTT]

How does James Bond music end up in a BBC Earth Lab video as background music...? Also... WHY!? I love the 007 theme (a lot), but... Also I hope they got permission to use it (unless it's a modified version of the real thing... lol).

[@hlonghi]

Pretty sure they can afford to pay the rights to broadcast it lol

[@KennethHuntington1]

I'm going to be honest, I only clicked on this video to look at the comments. With that said (and not hearing the music myself due to laziness and wanting to play the video game I'm doing right now) if it's the old version, is it old enough to be in the public domain and royalty free? Just a random uneducated thought. Or, is it a cover of that song?

[@c.james1]

This clip is orginally from a BBC TV Show, which would not be able to broadcast on television unless they had the right to use it.

There's a sensor inside the can, a "spy sensor". That's why

[@GigawingsVideo]

Probably BBC got exclusive right for the music because it's a deal made with the Brocolli guy?

[@boratsagdiyev3936]

James Bond music was totally annoying

[@GraveUypo]

and unfitting.

[@SproutyPottedPlant]

k

[@Mybwain]

I agree, for this purpose it should be canned.

[@joecaner]

And James Bond music just naturally bring out all of the *"nasties"* in the neighborhood.

[@iPervy]

The music has to strong a melody that it makes it hard to listen to what the narrator is saying at the same time.

[@Peizxcv]

It always saddens me to know there are poor people out there that survives on cold can food because they cannot afford anything else including heating the can up.

[@simontide6780]

Still better than starving to death.

[@andreysilva8418]

Bettter starve i guess

[@yay-cat]

Some cans have a white lining - maybe a plastic or a coating - I assume this is to stop the food having a chemical reaction with the aluminium?

[@shadow19]

If it wasn't for this video I wouldn't have remembered my can of beans, strange thought but at least I have breakfast sorted. Thanks BBC.

[@_Super_Hans_]

Why doesn't the can explode? Surely the pressure is massive if they're boiling the sauce inside a sealed can

[@wonadona]

If the inside is heated, vapor is formed an the pressure rises inside the can. But outside there is a higher pressure, too. So the interior and exteriour pressure cancel eachother out.

[@_Super_Hans_]

@@wonadona I didn't realise the cooker was pressurised, thanks!

[@fidelcatsro6948]

Its done for les than 5 mins...no chance for pressures to go exponentialy high

[@MauroTamm]

That's why it's called a pressure cooker.

[@ntt2k]

That's not why it's called a pressure cooker -_-

[@cipmars]

Great, now I want beans and it's 1.39AM. Great job.

[@erkenbrandLORT]

For us Americans 120°C is 248°F. Just to put things into perspective.

[@crappyatlife]

I thought 120 degrees sounded way too low.

[@thepeach12345]

Waters boils at 212 f and at C its 100

[@williamGSXR110]

They are called Freedom Units.

[@itslike123]

please America switch to C and metric system

[@williamanthony9090]

Itslike123- It's hard to change from a system you're stuck on, no matter what the rest of the planet says. In the late seventies they began slipping in highway signs that were converting miles over to kilometers. It was supposed to be the first step towards putting America on the same page as the rest of the planet. Courtesy, I believe, of the peanut farmer. As soon as he got thrown out of office, those signs disappeared. Oh well... What difference does it really make in the grand scheme of importance?

[@roi12555]

So what is the reason they have expiration date after all? what problem can raise after let say 18 months?

[@smousesmouse2626]

Acids in the the product deteriorate the cans inner linings.

[@lordgarion514]

The dates on most canned goods is 2 years. Some things like some brands of canned fish I've seen 5 years on. But in reality, the dates have absolutely nothing to do with safety. It has to do with quality of the food in the can. The feds make companies pick a date that they can guarantee the food tastes like it's supposed to. Shorter dates are preferred by the companies since it going out of date let's them take it off their taxes, and they don't have to worry about making sure their cans can last decades. And canned food(meat at that) has been tested when it was well over 100 years old. It was lamb or something and it went on 2 artic expeditions snd was sitting in a museum when they decided to test it. Also 80 year old canned corn was also tested. Both were found to be absolutely safe, and the people who tested the corn said it tasted just like a can that was recently bought from a store.

[@fredrickrari9338]

What prevents the can from exproding when heated?

[@Gregdotgreg]

The pressure outside the can prevents it from exploding. The pressure inside the can prevents it from imploding. If the temperature outside is the same as the inside, then the pressure outside is the same as the inside. Same as it would be at room temperature.

[@IyalagoFAC]

cans are cooked with a pressure cooker

[@DoctorDex]

Came for the canned goods. stayed for the puns and wacky music!

[@DeepFriedDave]

so interesting. Thank you all you unsung heroes of food production, from the scientists to the line workers, for making us have an abundant and safe food supply. I solute you!

[@jessesan2003]

I was wondering what that metallic thing inside was, when I opened my can of beans.

[@monsieurduquack5440]

The "Super Steam Sterilizer" sounds like a weapon a Bond villain would have in their secret island lair

[@Adam2050]

Canning that technic been used for longer then hienz. Will last as long as the can.

[@MauroTamm]

Less - the food will still degrade and decay naturally even if the can is still perfectly sealed.

[@girafmad]

@@MauroTamm but not in a human lifespan.

[@girafmad]

Look up The steamboat Bertrand

[@kvndreamteam]

I knew the answer even before I played this video: whenever you open any kind of canned food, you'll notice that the can is absolutely filled with it, meaning that there was no oxygen inside that can. However, once you open it up and you don't eat it all in one day, you'd better finish it on the very next day, or you will have to discard it, unless, of course, you put it in the freezer shortly after you had first opened it. That's what I do with meat spread. My freezer works just fine; so, that meat spread will last from three to four days, until it's all gone... Enjoy your food!

[@yaz1775]

i want a "boom! no nasties" meme

[@Yggdrasill8]

Always found it fascinating that we can have food that will last for many years yet it doesn't have to be frozen or refrigerated. Sounds extremely convenient Freeze-dried food that is also canned, now that could last 3 decades before expiration, insane

[@henryToped]

As you can see, oxygen is the real culprit

[@williamanthony9090]

Okay, but what does the title have to do with the video? At no time do they talk about how long the beans will last in the can. The whole video is about sterilizing the beans going into the can. WTH?

[@ArinJager1]

the shelf life nowadays is some 3 to 5 years (it used to be more, tho') - but if the can is undamaged, still well sealed, not rusted, it could "last forever", theoretically (it'd just not taste good, but it'd still be edible - hence all the "taste test" YT channels and their apparent popularity - because if there wasn't a demand for these, they'd not make them, I guess)... Other than that, the vid is rubbish, lol, exactly what to expect from Big Black Cock TV and their corporate gaslighting (they don't even show the "double seams" sealing, ffs, some people are confused by how the cans are sealed without welding, lol)

[@Posimistic]

THIS FACTORY MAKIN BEANS!

[@bilal00276]

Would much rather have had no background music.

[@asdfasdfuhf]

Will she "spill the beans"? *:D*

[@AddBowIfGirl]

Sir, please leave.

[@estebansilva1071]

I really enjoyed this video, thank you

[@atravellingbleach8668]

It's perfect for The Apocalypse! Now I just gotta water my mouth with a Burger...

[@Sara.Rose.]

Very interesting and informative

[@fridaykitty]

I'm just here like "does the music matter THAT much"

[@tonyfuri9693]

Yes. 007. Of course

[@BlakieTT]

Good video, distracting music; but I wonder: What's the deal with the ridges on the cans? Some ergonomic reason? Food preservation method?

[@Gabrong]

i am 90% sure that those are for increasing the structural strength of the can. it is much easier to smash a tube like a can if it is smooth. with the ridges it gets more sturdy.

[@BlakieTT]

Possible, thanks :) Seems to make some sense to me, but I know nothing about engineering \o/

[@dmolition123]

Yes, the above comment is complete right, makes the can much stronger.

[@windhelmguard5295]

a smooth can shape can only withstand force from the top, apply force from the side and it will collapse, like an empty coke can for example, by adding those ridges the can gains a profile which makes it stronger without needing to add extra material. think off a slice of pizza, if you just hold it on the rim the tip bends down, but if you bend the slice to form a ridge, the tip won't bend down, you've increased the structural strength without adding material. the reason why food cans have ridges and coke cans don't is the difference in internal pressure. a coke can has a higher internal pressure than the surrounding air because of the carbonation, which is enough to prevent the can from collapsing under force, kinda like an inflated foot ball. a food can on the other hand has a low pressure inside because the food is hot when it is put inside and then cooled after the can is sealed, this lowers the pressure inside significantly, making the can structually weak, which is why those ridges are needed, should you ever encounter a food can thatis bulging, don't eat it because it's rotten.

[@BlakieTT]

Wow, amazing answer Windhelm - thank you! :>

[@adamchurvis1]

"Bond. James Bond. And thems me beans, mate."

[@Minty_Fresh8]

nice cans ! the 007 type music and end shot is funny, lol

[@zippienippi]

*🅱️ E A N S* 😂 👌

[@Teqnyq]

Means Heinz

[@magnetacyan5032]

WE ARE ALL H U M A N 🅱E A N E R S

[@gingercheesecake7357]

ME AND THE BOIS AT 2AM LOOKING FOR 🅱️EANZ

[@DanBlabbers]

You know those people have the most boring job...it’s an automated process where billions of cans have the exact same treatment.

[@ArinJager1]

yet they have to oversee it all, or else somebody'd get a serious case of sh*ts and would sue their asses (can't fully eliminate the human factor from the automation process)

[@user-uj4ip2pt6h]

do the can have plastic lining inside to prevent acid from the food from eating the can overtime? If so how does the plastic behaves under high temp? Are we eating the plastic?

[@ankhenaten2]

Yes you are eating plastic and that is why cancer is sky high

[@markfryer9880]

The particular type of sealer used inside the cans depends upon the contents and it's acidity level.

[@shahancheong9792]

"Do you expect me to talk!?" "No, Mr. Bond! I expect you to fart!"

[@AppleCinnamonPie]

So if all the bacteria is dead, how come it has a shelf life? Shouldn't it just be able to last a decade at least without spoiling?

[@warrmalaski8570]

Some foods slowly rust the can. And others lose there quality the longer there stored. But if there stored in a stable environment the process can take decades.

[@MoritzvonSchweinitz]

If the cans move so quickly, how do they 'buffer' them before loading them into the pressure cookers? Is there a very huge 'parking lot' of sorts?

[@ArinJager1]

what do YOU think, Moritz? ;) (of course there's a buffer of some sort or another)

[@Nirvaanthregoat]

I love your process

[@FloridaFlying]

Still doesn’t answer how the food lasts so long in a can

[@youwhat.]

FloridaFlying preservatives and all micro-bacteria are killed in the high temp so they dont replicate

[@sumayya003]

But if heat beans at over 120 degrees... do any nutrients even survive that?

[@sionnachdensolas9787]

Many. That heat is not enough to break down vitamins or amino acids. And minerals are inert. If anything it makes nutrients easier to absorb.

[@DicerX]

Great content mates

[@ericpistons9387]

Don't u mean, now we can all sleep safe knowing Heinz has clean cans" what about the other factories of companies with not as high standards lol

[@ariesradke6193]

Just because they do that in the video doesnt mean they do that all the time. Nor can you say other companies do it the same "safe" way

[@ArinJager1]

they don't have to (do it all the time), though (if you mean the "spy can")... Or didn't you pay attention? Because in the beginning of the vid they do say how many cans they make every single day (a shitton)... So they check every, I duno, one can in a million or something... There are these things called NORMs and STANDARDs, you see... That some greedy corpos don't give a damn and violate these, that's a completely different thing... And even if they did, you can't completely eliminate contamination, anyway (bad products make it to the market all the time, just be glad that most of it is at least somewhat safe and realiable - of course, nobody asks a blind faith/trust of you, well, except the church, lol, and f**k that noise, I say)

[@Nirvaanthregoat]

Great job

[@ArinJager1]

_the name's Can... Spy Can_

[@timexkills65]

What if those kinds bacteria that live in hot water springs got in here ! ?

[@TheBlaze4000]

Extremophile unicellular organisms. That's a good question.

[@No-hf1xq]

Even they wouldn't survive because they only live in around 80 degrees Celsius. This this treatment, pasteourizing is so deadly to bacteria that even feces could be sterilised with it.

[@richardhe5973]

But not the toxins in feces, bacteria eats nutrients from your feces and releases toxins. That's why you can't eat meat that's rotten or turned green, you can kill the bacteria but the toxins will still make you sick.

[@sionnachdensolas9787]

Archaea are not often toxic to humans, and likely wouldnt find the low sulfur environment very comfy. Even if they could survive 120 Celsius

[@alexandreandrejow7711]

Here in Brazil we don't things like canned beans and chickpeas, and I sincerely don't understand why some people would buy these.

[@classycassie1118]

They are cheaper and last longer

[@battutulu3030]

BPA COATING ANYONE...?

[@NetvoTV]

So no plastic spray inside the can like a video mentioned on YT?

[@anac1854]

how do you put the thempocouple on the lid? do u use any specific type of glue?

[@nsx001]

What about all that heating and sustainability?

[@vBDKv]

I love canned food. I could eat it daily no prob.

[@pifl]

The IBM screen :') Shows how old it is, but I guess don't fix what ain't broken

[@jonathantan2469]

I worked at Western Digital. Your desktop & laptop's 1TB drives are quality tested on machines controlled by Pentium II's. The machines themselves are from the late 1980s, when hard disk drives were just megabytes in size, although various components have been upgraded through the years.

[@pierreuntel1970]

Probably Not you know what even more expensive than upgrading the hardware? Upgrading the software and train the personnel to knows how to use it

[@jeedoo]

Now we are sure there is no bacteria, we will only worry about sodium content in canned food

[@mattmatti3525]

What causes them to go bad then?

[@sandenium]

No wonder they didn't talk about nutritional value after the can is heated to 120 degrees.

[@1973Washu]

Baked beans are good for your heart

[@dps6198]

Salt has been used as a preservative for centuries. It's also the reason that canned foods are inherently bad for your health because so much salt is added.

[@roddy75232]

What they don't tell you is that they dump a truck load of salt in it.

[@ArinJager1]

nah, it's better than couple decades ago (for both sugar and salt)

[@K2hansle]

The super steam sterilizer is also how they eliminate any Russian spies hiding in the canned beans.

[@creaglin1]

What happens after the shelf life? If bacteria still can't get in is it still safe? I wonder if anyone has eaten 10 year old beans.

[@westernparadise3107]

It is still safe, but quality will start to go down. Nutrients and the actual structure/coating of the can break down over time and eventually the quality is low enough that the food won’t taste good. The “Best Buy” date is how long the manufacture has tested that the quality is still good enough for their standards.

[@utrustpacklibby]

Nice video

[@dwaynewladyka577]

Very cool video.

[@blackragnar5788]

How about preservatives..

[@ledzepgirlnmful]

Pretty cool !!

[@yonabelle8938]

The puns though😂 pfft

[@yokohamadirtyramen]

Yow this man eatin beans

[@shriramvenu]

they should blast the food with radiation before sealing the cans, then the food could have much longer shelf lives

[@legalman2891]

Radiate your ass and eat it !

[@stanr5787]

This is what we will have when earth goes through pre stage death.

[@ralucapahontu9504]

Whos eating beans whilst watching this :)

[@Jamal_Tyrone]

They never mention the thing I most want to know in these mini documentaries, how is the can sealed? My guess is some form of welding but in another one of these fluff pieces it said the cylinders seam was soldered? Sorry, I don't believe you! It would break far too easily! In the same video the base of the can was attached with *heat.* Again, I bloody doubt it! Unless by *heat* you mean *welding!*

[@ArinJager1]

it's not welded... it's called "double seams"... they bend the can and the lid into each other, no need to weld or solder anything (and as Smarts above me said: it'd cost a lot of money to weld) here you go: upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/52/Can_solderless_seam_cutaway.jpg (it's even called "solderless")

[@IyalagoFAC]

Yes, Solder is ancient! All cans are sealed through a double seam process. as Arin said lid and can are folded into each other and kept intact by a sealing compound. The side however is welded with some high tech equipment.

[@Flip111000]

yes but even tho its cooked and free of bacteria, how do they get rid of air ?

[@ArinJager1]

they don't, not entirely... there probably even has to be a "blanket" atmosphere above the foods (you know, like how the bag of lays is mostly air, it's similar, but lays are just greedy feckers, is all)

[@RandomGuy33369]

Pretty sure when he grabbed the can off the line at the beginning... That was a safety hazard... That can could have cut the hell out of him

[@ArinJager1]

should* >:D

[@graspingfagin]

If all the bad bacteria get destroyed, does this mean that good bacteria or nutrients get destroyed as well?

[@ArinJager1]

all microbes die, yes, even the good ones, sadly...? The nutriens, not so much, I'd wager (though all the nutrients, or rather: the nutritional value, goes down when you process any food, so... depends how you treat it, how "gentle" the food preparation is - e.g.: frying, high temperatures in general,... etc. = not "gentle" - turns potatoes in plastic, not so great for your innards - carcinogenic, you see, vs let's say steam cooking = gentle, longer time + lower temperature is usually the best option to not destroy the nutrients, or as much - you will inevitably destroy some, anyway... It can't be helped, however, because: a) some things are better NOT eaten raw, like meat, for example - because salmonella and stuff, and b) you can't digest and absorb everything, 100%, anyway, so, don't worry too much about it - it's better that way, because otherwise you'd just "look" at something toxic or walk by, and then die (!) immediately or something... For example: you have to pulp (cut/chop, grate, whatever) and cook (blanche) carrots to get up to 39% beta carotene intake from it, versus only 3% beta carotene from eating raw carrots... Where does the 97 to 61% of the beta carotene even go, right? Also depends on the carrot itself, how much betacarotene it has in it... To be frank, there's a sh*t-ton (or 24 metric ass-loads, lol) of factors at play at all the time)... Remember: only 1% (1 to 2%, max.) of the Sun's energy is transfered from the Sun and absorbed by the plants (plants are pretty inefficient, huh, but so are the artificial solar panels, plants are still better than these), then only 0,1% of that solar energy is transfered from the plants to the primary consumers (herbivores), and only 0,01% is then transfered from the primary consumer to its predator (carnivore), if other carnivore (some apex predator) would eat that first carnivore, it'd be only 0,001% and so on, so forth... Most energy, nutrients,... is just lost (what a waste, right?), but fret not, because the Sun radiates 3.8 x 1026 joules/sec., that's like lifting 4 000 000 tons every second (Sun be like: "do you even lift, bro?" lol)... OK! TL:DR

[@selgeaus]

I thought the presenter sounded like James Cordon at the beginning

[@je6874]

So this was an advertisement for Heinz with mismatched background music...

[@IT-dp3pm]

Can you cut it with the can jokes ? 😅

[@henryToped]

Whot's ist dat I'm wotching 🤔 Ist absolutely astounding

[@ThePr0Br0]

Wait why does food spoil again

[@warrmalaski8570]

Air and bacteria rot stuff . Inside the can there is neither.

[@Lee-fd1pb]

One big fart factory

[@PhantomPanic]

BOOOOOOOMMMMMP!

[@Blackfeet]

*BRAAAAAAAP!*

[@winterwolf2012]

Can makes a popping noise when the top or bottom of the can is pressed, is it safe to eat. BB date 2026

[@biker1373]

Holy shit is this news to anyone ,! this is just shit you learn about in high school .

[@laneyjones2334]

Get over the music ugh

[@AnythingMike]

Errm you ever heard of GMO ?

[@derrick1751]

The bond music was unnecessary

[@maximada2003]

why isn't it safe indefinitely and only for a year or so? If everything bad has been killed?

[@aimeethomson7806]

Last of line cut price?

[@aimeethomson7806]

.....timed tinned sardines

[@blackberuang]

WHERE"S 007?

[@PixlRainbow]

He provided the spy sensor

[@Bluemilk92]

She says 120 degrees, but do the British use Fahrenheit?

[@krashd]

Nope, so that would be 20 degrees above the boiling point of water in the UK, and ample temperature to destroy bacteria. 248°F for you lot :)