Canned Food

Available for over a year

What does canned food have in common with Silicon Valley? More than you might think. Its story reveals how little some dilemmas around innovation have changed in two hundred years. Initially developed for military purposes, then commercialized in a place with plenty of venture capital and no stifling bureaucracy, the path of canned food is shared by many recent technological innovations. But, as Tim Harford explains, canned food may also hold lessons about the dangers of under-regulation. Producer: Ben Crighton Editor: Richard Vadon