food canning industry 

 (SIC's 2032 and 2033) 



Description of industry 



Part VI. 



food 

 and liindred products 



and leatlier 

 and leather products 



(SIC's 20 and 31) 



Nearly 2,000 canneries make up the Nation's 

 canning industry. These are located in 49 of the 

 50 States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. 

 These plants produce all of the basic canned foocjs 

 — vegetables, fruits and fruit juices, milk, meat, 

 seafoods, soups, and infant foods, as well as nu- 

 merous specialties and combinations. More than 

 1,200 different canned items and combinations 

 are made available from the production of these 

 canneries. The 1965 pack of canned foods was 

 more than 765 million cases containing over 

 27 billion tin and glass containers divided among 

 these main categories: seasonal vegetables, 227 

 million cases; fruits, 124 million cases; juices, 114 

 million cases; milk, 44 million cases; fish, 3 million 

 cases; canned meat, 46 million cases. 



Processes utilizing water 



One of the most important operations in com- 

 mercial canning is thorough cleaning of the raw 

 foods. The procedures of cleaning vary with the 

 nature of the food; but all raw foods must be freed 

 of adhering soil, dried juices, insects, and chemical 

 residues. This is accomplished by subjecting the 

 raw foods to high-pressure water sprays while 

 being conveyed on moving belts or passed through 

 revolving screens. The product wash water may be 

 fresh or reclaimed from an in-plant operation, but 

 it must be of potable quality. 



Washed raw products are transported to and 

 from the various operations by means of belts, 

 flumes, and pumping systems. This is a major use 

 of water. Although the fresh water makeup must 

 be of potable quality, recirculation is practiced to 

 reduce water intake. Chlorination is used to main- 

 tain recycled waters in a sanitary condition. 



A third major use of water is for rinsing chem- 

 ically peeled fruits and vegetables to remove excess 

 peel and caustic residue. Water of potable quality 

 must be used. 



Green vegetables are immersed in hot water 

 or exposed to live steam in blanching operations 

 to inactivate enzymes and to wilt leafy vegetables 

 to facilitate their filling into cans or jars. The 



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