What amount did Napoleon Bonaparte offer in 1809 for a new food preservation method?

Answer

A prize of 12,000 francs

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the logistical challenge of supplying massive armies during the Napoleonic Wars prompted the French government to seek innovations in food preservation. Recognizing that reliable, non-perishable rations were crucial for military success across long campaigns, Napoleon Bonaparte officially announced a substantial incentive. Specifically, in the year 1809, Napoleon established a prize valued at 12,000 francs for any individual who could successfully devise a practical and effective method for preserving large quantities of food that could also be transported easily. This financial motivation elevated food preservation from a simple domestic skill to a matter of critical national security and spurred industrial innovation in the field.

Related Questions

What amount did Napoleon Bonaparte offer in 1809 for a new food preservation method?What empirical observation inspired Nicolas Appert's process for preserving solid foods?What primary material did Nicolas Appert use to hold food during his thermal sterilization process?Which material did Peter Durand patent in 1810 as a substitute for glass in preserved food containers?Which scientist provided the scientific foundation explaining Appert's thermal sterilization success?Besides being a confectioner, what other professional roles did Nicolas Appert hold?What tools were often required to open the early tin cans patented by Peter Durand?What critical combination did Appert realize protected the food contents during preservation?What was a noted limitation of ancient preservation methods like heavy salting or smoking?What does the transition from Appert’s glass jars to Durand’s tin cans illustrate about technological adoption?

food invention History preservation technique