0:00:03 > 0:00:08We eat more baked beans in Britain than anywhere else on Earth.
0:00:08 > 0:00:12Every day, we consume over two million cans of them.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15That takes hundreds of sacks of beans -
0:00:15 > 0:00:17like this.
0:00:17 > 0:00:21Tonight, we're going to tell the truly extraordinary story
0:00:21 > 0:00:23behind an ordinary can of beans.
0:00:23 > 0:00:28By taking you inside the biggest food factory in Europe.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33I'm Gregg Wallace.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35That's a tin of beans, innit?
0:00:35 > 0:00:36..and I'll be revealing the secrets
0:00:36 > 0:00:39of this astonishing production line...
0:00:39 > 0:00:41A billion beans is going to go through here
0:00:41 > 0:00:44and a laser is going to look at every single bean?
0:00:44 > 0:00:47..and the science behind the magic...
0:00:47 > 0:00:49That is mega-strong.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53That's quite incredible. That is simply that with ripples in it.
0:00:53 > 0:00:57..turning a humble little bean into one of the 300,000 tonnes
0:00:57 > 0:01:00of baked beans we eat every year.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03Mate, what it takes to give us beans on toast, eh?
0:01:06 > 0:01:07I'm Cherry Healey.
0:01:08 > 0:01:14I'll show you the incredible journey your recycled tin can goes on
0:01:14 > 0:01:16in order to make it back to your pantry.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20God, it's so hot.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23Bits of it are just falling off as it rolls away.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27Historian Ruth Goodman discovers that tinned food
0:01:27 > 0:01:30was once a matter of life and death.
0:01:30 > 0:01:34Malnutrition had killed more than half of the British seamen.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40Three million cans of baked beans
0:01:40 > 0:01:44will roll out of this one factory in the next 24 hours.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48And this is the incredible story of how they do it.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50Welcome to Inside The Factory.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12This is the Heinz factory in Wigan.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15It works around the clock with 1,200 staff
0:02:15 > 0:02:18to make 200 different products,
0:02:18 > 0:02:25including spaghetti, soup and its biggest seller - baked beans.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29They come in all sorts of varieties and containers,
0:02:29 > 0:02:32like plastic resealable jars
0:02:32 > 0:02:35and individual portion pots for the microwave.
0:02:35 > 0:02:39But tonight, we're making the traditional bestseller -
0:02:39 > 0:02:41baked beans in a can.
0:02:43 > 0:02:44Each bean will go on
0:02:44 > 0:02:48an incredible mile and a half journey through this factory...
0:02:49 > 0:02:53..before they are packaged and ready to head to your local supermarket
0:02:53 > 0:02:55less than 24 hours later.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04The factory in Wigan is enormous...
0:03:05 > 0:03:10..covering 54 acres, five times the size of Wembley Stadium.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15It's the largest food-processing plant in Europe...
0:03:17 > 0:03:20..and the biggest baked bean factory on the planet.
0:03:21 > 0:03:26Bringing in the beans is ingredients inspector John Brady.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28Right, John, that's it, that's our load of beans, yeah?
0:03:28 > 0:03:30- Yep.- First one of the morning?
0:03:30 > 0:03:31- Yep.- Come on, then.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33Oi! How many of these come in every day?
0:03:33 > 0:03:35About 20.
0:03:35 > 0:03:36Right, I'll loop it back.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39Come on, then. Let's have a look at this.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41I did not expect that.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43I don't know why, I just didn't expect that.
0:03:43 > 0:03:44How many of those big bags on there?
0:03:44 > 0:03:46Ten in total, two tonne in weight.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48Ten two-tonne bags of beans!
0:03:49 > 0:03:50Driver, we're ready.
0:03:56 > 0:04:01Overseeing the arrival of the beans is operations manager Gary Dent.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06We typically take in 12 to 14 containers a day.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09We'll do 50,000 tonne a year,
0:04:09 > 0:04:10but when you consider we'll make
0:04:10 > 0:04:13over three million cans of beans a day,
0:04:13 > 0:04:15that's why we need so many beans.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17- Three million cans of beans a day? - Oh, yeah, easy.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20- Yeah.- Three million cans of beans rolling out of here?- Yes.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23Forgive me, but what bean is in a tin of beans?
0:04:23 > 0:04:26That's them, Gregg. They're haricot beans.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29I really love it that we eat so many of these,
0:04:29 > 0:04:31yet we probably don't know their name.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33We probably don't know what they are!
0:04:33 > 0:04:34No, these are haricot beans.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38Haricot beans start life in a pod.
0:04:39 > 0:04:43They're grown throughout the summer months and left to dry on the plant.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47The beans I'm following come from North America,
0:04:47 > 0:04:50where the climate provides the perfect growing conditions.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54Every week, 1,000 tonnes of beans
0:04:54 > 0:04:57are loaded into containers and shipped to the Port of Liverpool.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02Then they're trucked the final 20 miles here to the factory.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10So, these little things.
0:05:10 > 0:05:15- Yep.- How long, roughly, before they become a tin of beans?
0:05:15 > 0:05:18You could see a finished tin of beans within two hours.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21I suppose it is possible for me to see every single stage
0:05:21 > 0:05:23- of this process, isn't it? - It certainly is, Gregg.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26- And maybe taste a few at the end? - Oh, without doubt.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31The bags of beans are brought out of their shipping containers
0:05:31 > 0:05:33and into the factory at bean intake.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39This is where the baked bean production line begins.
0:05:39 > 0:05:44In just 24 hours, these beans could be in a can on a supermarket shelf.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50Each two-tonne bag is carefully positioned above a funnel.
0:05:50 > 0:05:51When the bag is opened,
0:05:51 > 0:05:54the beans drop onto an enclosed conveyor
0:05:54 > 0:05:58that takes them to the first stage of processing.
0:05:58 > 0:05:59Could I have a go at that?
0:05:59 > 0:06:00Certainly.
0:06:01 > 0:06:05Don't go anywhere, Gary, cos if it falls over, I'm blaming you.
0:06:05 > 0:06:09Each bag contains 9.5 million individual beans,
0:06:09 > 0:06:12enough to fill more than 20,000 cans.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16That's a lot of beans to drop, Gregg.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18Whoa!
0:06:20 > 0:06:22That was a bit tense, that, Gary.
0:06:22 > 0:06:23- Yep.- Right, now pull that.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29- There they go.- Yeah!
0:06:32 > 0:06:35My dry beans are travelling to the blanching room,
0:06:35 > 0:06:38which is 200m away from the intake area
0:06:38 > 0:06:42to prevent contamination from the outside world.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46They move at 5mph on an enclosed conveyor
0:06:46 > 0:06:49and it takes five minutes for the first beans to arrive.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52Here, they'll be rehydrated.
0:06:53 > 0:06:58OK, Gregg, we're now going to see how we rehydrate our dry beans.
0:06:58 > 0:07:03What we've got here is the dry beans that you loaded up for us
0:07:03 > 0:07:04about five minutes ago.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06They've now reached the blancher
0:07:06 > 0:07:09and this is where we put the water back into that dry bean.
0:07:12 > 0:07:13In the blanching process,
0:07:13 > 0:07:18they pass through two 85-degree Celsius steam-heated chambers,
0:07:18 > 0:07:21each soaking the beans for ten minutes.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24Time and temperature are key in the rehydration process.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27- You're not boiling them up to cook them.- No.- You're putting water in for 20 minutes,
0:07:27 > 0:07:3185 degrees to get moisture back in.
0:07:31 > 0:07:32- Exactly.- Hydrate.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34- Rehydrate.- Exactly that.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39Blanching in steam quickly softens the outside of the dry bean
0:07:39 > 0:07:41and lets in water.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44Over about a 25-minute period,
0:07:44 > 0:07:48these will have taken up around about 65% more water.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50That's the before and after.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53They've swollen up incredibly.
0:07:53 > 0:07:54- Yep.- But not cooked.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56Not cooked. If you want to try one, you can,
0:07:56 > 0:07:59but they're certainly not cooked.
0:07:59 > 0:08:00It's just got a bit of give,
0:08:00 > 0:08:05- but in the middle, it's as hard as, like, an uncooked risotto.- Yeah.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08I quite like them. You got any salt?
0:08:09 > 0:08:12The rehydrated beans are washed in warm water
0:08:12 > 0:08:15to get rid of any loose skins.
0:08:15 > 0:08:20Finally, the laser sorter actually detects any discoloured beans
0:08:20 > 0:08:23and rejects them with an air jet.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25- HE LAUGHS - Honestly, yeah.- Really?
0:08:25 > 0:08:27- Yes.- Really?
0:08:27 > 0:08:28OK, go on, then.
0:08:28 > 0:08:3320 years ago, there would be people flicking the beans off with spoons,
0:08:33 > 0:08:34but now we use the laser sorter.
0:08:40 > 0:08:44There are two lasers - one above and one below the beans -
0:08:44 > 0:08:46that examine them from every angle.
0:08:48 > 0:08:50A laser spots a discoloured bean
0:08:50 > 0:08:54and fires an air jet that knocks it off the production line.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58The puffing noise that you hear is the gun firing
0:08:58 > 0:09:00and knocking the beans off.
0:09:00 > 0:09:05Every one of those little clicks is a jet of air and a bean dying.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07It's BEAN rejected.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09- A has-BEAN! - A has-BEAN, very good.
0:09:10 > 0:09:12So, when I open a tin of beans,
0:09:12 > 0:09:15this laser has had a look at the bean that I'm going to eat.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17Absolutely. Yep.
0:09:19 > 0:09:20Within the next couple of hours,
0:09:20 > 0:09:24these will be in a can, ready to head to a supermarket.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27And while I follow the beans,
0:09:27 > 0:09:29Cherry is looking at the other essential element
0:09:29 > 0:09:32in a can of baked beans - the can itself.
0:09:37 > 0:09:38Mmm!
0:09:39 > 0:09:44This tin of baked beans is about to go on an incredible journey.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46Not the beans - I've just finished those -
0:09:46 > 0:09:51but the tin itself will go through an extraordinary process
0:09:51 > 0:09:54to end up back in someone else's cupboard.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58It all begins the moment you throw it in the recycling bin.
0:10:01 > 0:10:02Did I just get that in?
0:10:03 > 0:10:08In most major cities, you can throw all of your recycling into one bag,
0:10:08 > 0:10:11but how is it all sorted to make sure that my tin can
0:10:11 > 0:10:13ends up in the right place?
0:10:13 > 0:10:19You do it with one of these - what's lovingly known as the murf -
0:10:19 > 0:10:22materials recovery facility.
0:10:22 > 0:10:28And it's one of the largest of its kind in the world.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31At this recycling centre in east London,
0:10:31 > 0:10:36their murf sorts 520 truckloads every week.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39My guide through it all is David Rumble.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42Wow! That is a monster machine.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45It looks like teeth grinding everything.
0:10:45 > 0:10:47What is this actually doing?
0:10:47 > 0:10:53Well, this is actually separating out into three different sizes -
0:10:53 > 0:10:56very big, which just rolls over the top,
0:10:56 > 0:10:59medium size, which is where a steel can goes.
0:10:59 > 0:11:04and then very small, which is broken glass and shredded paper.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07There goes your can, you can see it there.
0:11:07 > 0:11:08There it is, there it is.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11Once it's all separated into different sizes,
0:11:11 > 0:11:14it moves on to be sorted by shape.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17Flat objects like paper and cardboard
0:11:17 > 0:11:19travel along the top of the wheels.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22While the rest, including my can,
0:11:22 > 0:11:25drop through and are collected at the bottom.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28So, it's a matter of surface area?
0:11:28 > 0:11:29Absolutely, yes.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31Surface area and physics.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36Now that it's been sorted by size and shape,
0:11:36 > 0:11:39it needs some hi-tech equipment to separate it further.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44This is the near infrared optical separator
0:11:44 > 0:11:49and what this is doing is taking plastic off of the belt,
0:11:49 > 0:11:53so we're actually pulling out EET,
0:11:53 > 0:11:56which is the clear plastic drinks bottles.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00A sensor in the separator detects how much light is passing through
0:12:00 > 0:12:04or reflecting off the different materials
0:12:04 > 0:12:06so it can spot the clear plastic bottles
0:12:06 > 0:12:08and they get blown off the belt.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12Can it really be that detailed that it can see an individual bottle?
0:12:12 > 0:12:13Absolutely.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17Finally, my steel can is picked up
0:12:17 > 0:12:20and separated from the aluminium drinks cans.
0:12:20 > 0:12:25This is an electromagnet that'll lift the can off of the belt,
0:12:25 > 0:12:28move it over above a bin and then drop it off.
0:12:28 > 0:12:32So, once the tin has been dropped by the magnet, where does it go then?
0:12:32 > 0:12:34It goes to the baler,
0:12:34 > 0:12:38where we make it into a big square bale of ferrous metal.
0:12:39 > 0:12:44The baling machine crushes up to 40,000 tin cans
0:12:44 > 0:12:47into one single cube, each weighing one tonne.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51This one includes my can.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55I'm now going to take this lot off to one of the largest steelworks
0:12:55 > 0:12:59in the UK for a bit of a rough time.
0:13:06 > 0:13:11Back at the factory, it's been 25 minutes since my dried beans arrived
0:13:11 > 0:13:13and now they've been rehydrated.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18To make baked beans, every manufacturer uses haricot beans,
0:13:18 > 0:13:22but they all create their own particular tomato sauce.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27Here at Heinz, their special ingredients are prepared
0:13:27 > 0:13:29in the spice-mixing area.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35The recipe is classified information,
0:13:35 > 0:13:37and making sure it stays that way
0:13:37 > 0:13:40is manufacturing coordinator Paul Sherrington.
0:13:40 > 0:13:45This is where we make up the secret spices what makes the beans famous.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47- What do you mean "the secret spices"?- A secret no-one knows.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50Only two people in the world know about these spices.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52- Who do you think you are, James Bond?- Yes.- Mate, get out of it!
0:13:54 > 0:13:57The ingredients are listed on the label of a can of beans,
0:13:57 > 0:14:00but because no recipe can be copyrighted,
0:14:00 > 0:14:03the exact proportions they use are a trade secret
0:14:03 > 0:14:07known only by the head buyer and the chief quality officer.
0:14:08 > 0:14:13The secret spice recipe has stayed the same since 1896...
0:14:14 > 0:14:18..and is delivered to the factory as three anonymous powder mixes.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20- What are they?- I don't know.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24- You honestly don't know what they are?- Honestly, I don't know.
0:14:24 > 0:14:26I can taste these, though, can't I, cos I...
0:14:26 > 0:14:29- Indeed, yes.- ..I might be able to work out what's in it?
0:14:29 > 0:14:32But if you do, then we'll have to kill you.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34Surely working out what's in the three different mixes
0:14:34 > 0:14:37shouldn't be too hard.
0:14:37 > 0:14:38Oh!
0:14:39 > 0:14:41They're so strong.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43You've got a saucy one...
0:14:44 > 0:14:45..a peppered chilli one
0:14:45 > 0:14:48and a sweet, garlicky one.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50Do you know what I conclude from that?
0:14:52 > 0:14:53I haven't got a clue.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55- HE LAUGHS - Nice one!
0:14:55 > 0:14:58Paul doesn't know the exact ingredients,
0:14:58 > 0:15:01but he does know how much of each mix to measure out
0:15:01 > 0:15:03for our bag of spices.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05What quantity of tomato are we going to add this to?
0:15:05 > 0:15:09We're going to add to a batch which is five tonne in weight.
0:15:09 > 0:15:13- And how many tins will that make, roughly?- Approximately 20,000.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16- 20,000 from this little bag?- Yes.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18No wonder my lips were tingling.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23I'm taking my bag of secret spices next door to the sauce room...
0:15:25 > 0:15:29..where sauce operator Peter Foster is ready to mix up a batch.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32- Hello, mate.- Hello, mate.
0:15:32 > 0:15:33I've got some spice.
0:15:33 > 0:15:34Right.
0:15:35 > 0:15:36What is this room?
0:15:36 > 0:15:38It's the sauce room.
0:15:38 > 0:15:39You control the spice.
0:15:39 > 0:15:43I control the pump, the water, boilers.
0:15:43 > 0:15:45You're the chef.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47Well, you could say so.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50Peter is in charge of eight mixing bowls,
0:15:50 > 0:15:55each one holding enough sauce for 20,000 tins of beans.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58You are mixing and cooking the tomatoes, the water,
0:15:58 > 0:16:01- the starch, the sugar.- Yep.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03- And the secret ingredient. - Yes, that's the one.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05Do you know what the ingredients are?
0:16:05 > 0:16:06No.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09- Mate, do you?- Believe me, there's only two people who know.
0:16:09 > 0:16:11So I've heard.
0:16:11 > 0:16:16Now for the tomato puree, which comes in one-tonne bags.
0:16:16 > 0:16:20Two rollers squeeze out every drop of the puree,
0:16:20 > 0:16:24which has been made from Californian tomatoes that have been cooked,
0:16:24 > 0:16:27blended and sieved to remove the seeds.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33It's then pumped through pipes into the kitchen.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37- There's your tomato pulp.- Oh!
0:16:39 > 0:16:42Then, I add my bag of spices.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44This is just like adding a stock cube at home.
0:16:45 > 0:16:49With the press of a button, Peter adds starch to thicken the sauce.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54The sugar and salt are blown through pipes into the mixer.
0:16:55 > 0:17:01Each 415g can contains just under five teaspoons of sugar
0:17:01 > 0:17:03and almost half a teaspoon of salt.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07Then some vinegar, but they won't tell me how much -
0:17:07 > 0:17:08it's a secret.
0:17:09 > 0:17:14And finally, it's all blended in the giant food-mixer.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16Don't you think it might be a little bit too technical
0:17:16 > 0:17:19for an old-fashioned tin of beans?
0:17:19 > 0:17:21We make the best beans so that's what we do.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25After 15 minutes, the sauce is ready.
0:17:29 > 0:17:30That's a tin of beans, innit?
0:17:30 > 0:17:31It's a tin of beans.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36Our tomato sauce is on its way to get mixed with the beans.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39Next, we're going to need some cans.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42They can make up to four million baked bean cans
0:17:42 > 0:17:44in this factory every day,
0:17:44 > 0:17:46and, for that, you need a lot of steel.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54I followed my old tin can from the recycling plant
0:17:54 > 0:17:57to Tata Steel in Port Talbot, Wales.
0:17:58 > 0:18:02This is the largest steelworks in the UK,
0:18:02 > 0:18:06which recently hit the headlines when its future came under threat.
0:18:06 > 0:18:11In six hours, my can will be part of a brand-new sheet of steel.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23Here, scrap metal makes up about a quarter of the finished steel,
0:18:23 > 0:18:30and so my old recycled tin can is about to be combined with this -
0:18:30 > 0:18:32raw iron ore.
0:18:33 > 0:18:37It's been mined from rocks as far away as Australia.
0:18:39 > 0:18:43To make steel, the iron ore is tipped into a blast furnace,
0:18:43 > 0:18:46mixed with a type of coal called coke
0:18:46 > 0:18:50and heated to over 2,000 degrees.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53The result is almost pure molten iron,
0:18:53 > 0:18:58which is poured into brick-lined steel vessels called torpedoes
0:18:58 > 0:19:01and shunted across the yard to the most incredible place
0:19:01 > 0:19:03I've ever set foot in.
0:19:07 > 0:19:08Whoa!
0:19:10 > 0:19:14That is absolutely unbelievable!
0:19:16 > 0:19:20Here, my tin can, along with the rest of the scrap metal,
0:19:20 > 0:19:22is being loaded into a huge skip.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27Tim Rutter talks me through the process.
0:19:27 > 0:19:28Two things are going to happen -
0:19:28 > 0:19:31firstly, the scrap metal is going to come along
0:19:31 > 0:19:32and be charged into the mouth.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35- Which is there.- Which is coming down the bay as we speak.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37So, that's scrap metal and how much scrap metal is in there?
0:19:37 > 0:19:40There's anything between 50 and 100 tonnes of scrap metal,
0:19:40 > 0:19:44maybe the equivalent of up to two million steels cans
0:19:44 > 0:19:47- will be in that charging vessel. - Whoa, so my tin can
0:19:47 > 0:19:48could potentially be in there,
0:19:48 > 0:19:54and that scrap metal is going to go into the mouth of the cauldron.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56And what is over there?
0:19:56 > 0:19:59Here you can see the ladle full of molten iron.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02So, we've just come from the blast furnace where that's been made.
0:20:02 > 0:20:06It's now in a ladle and that's ready to charge on top of the scrap
0:20:06 > 0:20:07in the steel-making vessel.
0:20:08 > 0:20:13From behind the safety of a concrete wall, we can watch the action.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19First, the scrap metal is tipped into the 12m-high cauldron.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30The whole building is shaking.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37Then, 300 tonnes of molten iron is poured on top.
0:20:39 > 0:20:40Wow!
0:20:43 > 0:20:48Finally, pure oxygen is pumped in at supersonic speed.
0:20:50 > 0:20:57The powerful reaction causes the mixture to heat up to 1,700 degrees.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00Carbon and other impurities turn into a gas,
0:21:00 > 0:21:03leaving behind the steel we need to make cans.
0:21:06 > 0:21:11How many tins of baked beans am I looking at right now?
0:21:11 > 0:21:15If you estimate that we're making about 320 tonnes of steel,
0:21:15 > 0:21:18then that maybe makes about, say, eight million cans.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21Eight million cans!
0:21:24 > 0:21:27The new steel is poured into a water-cooled mould
0:21:27 > 0:21:30to reduce the temperature to 900 degrees Celsius
0:21:30 > 0:21:34and turn it into a slab that weighs around 30 tonnes.
0:21:35 > 0:21:41God, it's so hot that bits of it are just falling off as it rolls away.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45That's absolutely amazing.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50Before the slab of steel can be made into a baked bean can,
0:21:50 > 0:21:52it needs to be a lot thinner,
0:21:52 > 0:21:57so it enters this kilometre and a half-long hall to be compressed.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02It passes through a series of rollers
0:22:02 > 0:22:05exerting almost 4,000 tonnes of force,
0:22:05 > 0:22:07which make it longer and thinner.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12Oh, wow! So it's being rolled up into a huge coil.
0:22:12 > 0:22:16You can really feel that intense heat.
0:22:16 > 0:22:20The steel is constantly cooled with water
0:22:20 > 0:22:23and it's at a temperature just low enough to hold its shape.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29A second set of rollers transforms the 60m-long coil
0:22:29 > 0:22:33into a kilometre-long length of sheet steel.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39That sheet steel is moving at an unbelievable speed.
0:22:39 > 0:22:4230 to 40mph.
0:22:42 > 0:22:46Five minutes later, the steel is coiled up for the last time.
0:22:50 > 0:22:54It starts off with a slab that's about ten metres long,
0:22:54 > 0:22:58and by the time we've squashed it down to 2mm-thick,
0:22:58 > 0:23:01that is about 1km of steel.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07Once it's rolled up into that amazingly neat roll,
0:23:07 > 0:23:09where does it go next?
0:23:09 > 0:23:11So, the next place for this coil to go
0:23:11 > 0:23:13will be our sister plant in Trostre,
0:23:13 > 0:23:16who's going to cold roll it to make it even thinner
0:23:16 > 0:23:20and coat it with tin before they pass it on to Heinz, our customer,
0:23:20 > 0:23:21to make baked bean cans.
0:23:21 > 0:23:28So, this product is still steel and, later on, it becomes a tin can.
0:23:28 > 0:23:29Well, people call it a tin can,
0:23:29 > 0:23:33but of course it's a steel can that's got a coating of tin on it.
0:23:33 > 0:23:37It seems unfair. I'll call it a steel can from now on.
0:23:37 > 0:23:38Excellent.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43Coating the steel can with tin creates a barrier
0:23:43 > 0:23:48to stop air, water and beans touching the surface of the steel.
0:23:49 > 0:23:53It prevents the can from rusting and will protect the beans inside.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59Finally, the coated steel is cut into sheets
0:23:59 > 0:24:01and trucked off to the factory in Wigan,
0:24:01 > 0:24:06where it could find its way to your kitchen cupboard within a few days.
0:24:06 > 0:24:10So, next time you open your tin of beans,
0:24:10 > 0:24:14spare a thought for the unbelievable engineering
0:24:14 > 0:24:16that's gone into making it.
0:24:23 > 0:24:24Back at the factory,
0:24:24 > 0:24:29it's been 45 minutes since my dried haricot beans arrived.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32They've been blanched to rehydrate them
0:24:32 > 0:24:35and my tomato sauce has been mixed.
0:24:36 > 0:24:38Now I need something to put it all in.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43Heinz have their own can-making factory here on-site.
0:24:45 > 0:24:49Every day, 168 tonnes of steel arrives,
0:24:49 > 0:24:52enough to make more than five million cans.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58The engineer in charge is Darren Maloney.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02This is the steel that Cherry sent over.
0:25:02 > 0:25:07- Yeah.- I want to see how we make this into cans for baked beans.
0:25:07 > 0:25:08That's fine.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11Well, we buy the sheet steel in one-metre-square sheets,
0:25:11 > 0:25:13approximately.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17The sheets of steel are fed into a machine that cuts them into strips.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21So, we slit it that way into long strips.
0:25:23 > 0:25:27Then we slit it this way into the final blank.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30- Wow!- It's now cut into 16 of those.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32How many tins will that now make?
0:25:32 > 0:25:33Two.
0:25:35 > 0:25:37The transfer system collects them
0:25:37 > 0:25:38and takes them to the welding machine.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40It's taking about 100 at once.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42It's taking more than 100.
0:25:42 > 0:25:43It's taking 240 at a time.
0:25:45 > 0:25:49It's like one of those funfair games where you have to grab the toy.
0:25:49 > 0:25:50In a fraction of a second,
0:25:50 > 0:25:54each steel strip is bent round to form a cylinder
0:25:54 > 0:25:57with the edges overlapping by just half a millimetre.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01In a process called resistance welding,
0:26:01 > 0:26:03two electrodes heat up the steel edges,
0:26:03 > 0:26:06melting them and joining them together.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09- Heats it up, sticks it together. - Yes.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11It's now the right shape for a can,
0:26:11 > 0:26:14but it's big enough to make two,
0:26:14 > 0:26:17so the cylinders travel across the room on conveyors
0:26:17 > 0:26:21and into a machine which finally turns it into a can.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23Well, this part of the kit rotates.
0:26:23 > 0:26:27It basically splits it in two.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29Does it go like that?
0:26:29 > 0:26:31Yes.
0:26:31 > 0:26:32Rips it in half.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39That doesn't seem anywhere as strong as a finished tin can.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41I mean, I can't do that with my can of beans.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44We put the ripples on the can to make the can strong.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48If we didn't do that, you'd end up where the cans would just squash.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50The ripples give it the strength.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53So, the next machine rotates the can around a mould
0:26:53 > 0:26:55that creates ripples on its body.
0:26:57 > 0:26:59These help to keep the can rigid
0:26:59 > 0:27:02to prevent it collapsing under pressure.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04You can feel the difference.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06Yeah, that's sturdy.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09That's quite incredible. That is simply that with ripples in it.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12- Yes.- But actually when you transport them,
0:27:12 > 0:27:14you can transport them over ten feet high,
0:27:14 > 0:27:16so the cans at the bottom are supporting the weight
0:27:16 > 0:27:18of all the other cans.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20- Yes.- That is mega-strong.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23And then over there it's putting the tops on.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26Yeah. It's putting the tops on on the bottom of the can.
0:27:26 > 0:27:30Circular steel can-ends arrive at the factory ready-made.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34They're dropped on top of one end of the can
0:27:34 > 0:27:37and the edges are folded over to make a seal.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40This happens over 1,000 times a minute.
0:27:41 > 0:27:43And now they're off on their way to be filled.
0:27:45 > 0:27:49Quick and easy canned food is one of the most popular items
0:27:49 > 0:27:50on our shopping list.
0:27:50 > 0:27:52The average household in Britain
0:27:52 > 0:27:55gets through more than ten cans a week,
0:27:55 > 0:27:57but, as Ruth Goodman explains,
0:27:57 > 0:27:59when the tin can was first invented,
0:27:59 > 0:28:01it wasn't for the sake of convenience.
0:28:01 > 0:28:02It was to save lives.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06In the early 19th century,
0:28:06 > 0:28:10food preservation was a matter of life and death.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14For all of the military might
0:28:14 > 0:28:17of both the British and the French navies,
0:28:17 > 0:28:22the question of food was playing on the minds of the warring admirals.
0:28:22 > 0:28:26Malnutrition had killed more than half of the British seamen
0:28:26 > 0:28:31in the previous Seven Years' War, so solving this problem was imperative.
0:28:33 > 0:28:36To find out what was going wrong with the naval diet,
0:28:36 > 0:28:40I'm aboard the Gannet, a Victorian naval ship,
0:28:40 > 0:28:42to meet historian Alex Patterson.
0:28:43 > 0:28:45Could you tell me, why on earth
0:28:45 > 0:28:47were all those men suffering malnutrition?
0:28:47 > 0:28:50I mean, surely they loaded the ships up with supplies before they left.
0:28:50 > 0:28:53Fresh food stocks would spoil very quickly
0:28:53 > 0:28:56so you were left with the bare bones,
0:28:56 > 0:28:58which was the dried food products.
0:28:58 > 0:29:01Dried food products didn't have that much nutrition in them.
0:29:01 > 0:29:03Coupled with lack of fresh water,
0:29:03 > 0:29:05the men weren't getting what they needed.
0:29:05 > 0:29:10It wasn't a great diet to be at sea four, five months at a time.
0:29:10 > 0:29:13Away, without vitamin C for months,
0:29:13 > 0:29:16the sailors were prone to diseases like scurvy,
0:29:16 > 0:29:20suffering muscle and joint pain, red rashes and swelling gums.
0:29:20 > 0:29:23Do you think they were actually going hungry
0:29:23 > 0:29:26or is it the quality of the nutrition that's the problem?
0:29:26 > 0:29:28Potentially, a bit of both, actually.
0:29:28 > 0:29:30The quality of the nutrition wasn't great, we know that,
0:29:30 > 0:29:33and if food spoiled quicker than they could have controlled it,
0:29:33 > 0:29:35they would've had to lessen the rations.
0:29:35 > 0:29:40To be able to feed 400 to 800 men on board was a huge feat
0:29:40 > 0:29:42that the navy really struggled with.
0:29:44 > 0:29:48Across the Channel, the French navy faced the same problem.
0:29:48 > 0:29:52In 1795, they offered a cash prize to the first person
0:29:52 > 0:29:55to find a new method of food preservation.
0:29:57 > 0:29:59The winner was Nicolas Appert.
0:29:59 > 0:30:03He found that by heating food inside glass bottles
0:30:03 > 0:30:07and sealing them up with a plug of cream cheese and slaked lime,
0:30:07 > 0:30:10he could preserve food almost indefinitely.
0:30:12 > 0:30:14The British quickly jumped on the bandwagon,
0:30:14 > 0:30:17coming up with their own version.
0:30:17 > 0:30:19Looking for a less fragile material,
0:30:19 > 0:30:23they turned to their already established industry, tin plate.
0:30:24 > 0:30:27Author John Nutting has made a replica of their solution.
0:30:29 > 0:30:31- Hello, Ruth, how are you?- I'm good.
0:30:31 > 0:30:33Is this a can?
0:30:33 > 0:30:34This is a replica of a can
0:30:34 > 0:30:37that would have been made from about 1813.
0:30:37 > 0:30:39- What is it made out of? - This is tin plate.
0:30:39 > 0:30:40Does that mean pure tin?
0:30:40 > 0:30:44This is steel which has been coated in tin.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47Why change from glass bottles to tin cans?
0:30:47 > 0:30:48Well, glass bottles were fragile,
0:30:48 > 0:30:51so you didn't want really to have to use something
0:30:51 > 0:30:54which was not particularly good at resisting knocks and bashes
0:30:54 > 0:30:56and all the sort of things that would happen
0:30:56 > 0:30:59to preserved foods on ships.
0:30:59 > 0:31:02The innovator who made the first successful tin cans for preservation
0:31:02 > 0:31:05was a man called Bryan Donkin.
0:31:06 > 0:31:09He set up the first tin-canning factory in the world in London...
0:31:11 > 0:31:15..and the principles of canning he pioneered are still the same today.
0:31:16 > 0:31:17So, the food goes in there.
0:31:19 > 0:31:22First, he filled the can with food through a hole in the top...
0:31:25 > 0:31:28So, now what we have to do is cover that hole.
0:31:28 > 0:31:30- Right.- And solder that on.
0:31:30 > 0:31:31Okey doke.
0:31:33 > 0:31:36..and then added a lid with a much smaller hole.
0:31:37 > 0:31:41So, now we've got everything closed except for one tiny little hole.
0:31:43 > 0:31:45When he cooked the food inside the can,
0:31:45 > 0:31:48steam could escape through the hole,
0:31:48 > 0:31:50but it was then sealed up,
0:31:50 > 0:31:52preserving the food inside the can.
0:31:55 > 0:31:58And that's it. So, now the food in there is cooked,
0:31:58 > 0:32:00all the bacteria are killed
0:32:00 > 0:32:02and because it's now sealed, no new bacteria can get in.
0:32:02 > 0:32:03Exactly, yes.
0:32:03 > 0:32:06And it's preserved with all its nutritional
0:32:06 > 0:32:08and vitamin values intact.
0:32:08 > 0:32:09That's the key part of it,
0:32:09 > 0:32:12that the nutritional value is completely preserved, yes.
0:32:14 > 0:32:15So, the tin can was born.
0:32:16 > 0:32:19By 1818, Donkin's factory was supplying the navy
0:32:19 > 0:32:22with almost 24,000 cans a year,
0:32:22 > 0:32:28including soup, meat and vegetables, all rich in vitamins and minerals.
0:32:30 > 0:32:34The nutrition of the British seamen was hugely improved
0:32:34 > 0:32:38and this humble invention saved thousands of lives.
0:32:43 > 0:32:46Back in Wigan, my three vital ingredients
0:32:46 > 0:32:49are being brought together for the first time in the filling hall.
0:32:51 > 0:32:53The beans are dropping down from blanching,
0:32:53 > 0:32:56tomato sauce is coming from the kitchen next door
0:32:56 > 0:32:59and the cans are travelling from can-making
0:32:59 > 0:33:00on the other side of the site.
0:33:03 > 0:33:07I'm following them to meet filling operator Jason Lowe.
0:33:07 > 0:33:09This is the start of the process, Gregg.
0:33:09 > 0:33:12We get the cans from can-making,
0:33:12 > 0:33:17they come down the gantry and they go straight into the bean head.
0:33:17 > 0:33:19The blanched beans arrive at the rotating bean head
0:33:19 > 0:33:22and fill up the small round compartments on top.
0:33:24 > 0:33:26Then they drop into the waiting cans below.
0:33:27 > 0:33:32On average, 465 beans into every can.
0:33:32 > 0:33:36It all happens so fast, I'll just have to take their word for it.
0:33:36 > 0:33:40Hundreds and hundreds of cans just flashing in front of your eyes.
0:33:42 > 0:33:44So, you don't add the tomato sauce yet?
0:33:44 > 0:33:47No, the tomato sauce is at the next step.
0:33:47 > 0:33:48Can I see the sauce going in?
0:33:48 > 0:33:50Yeah, of course you can.
0:33:50 > 0:33:53This is what we call the sauce filler.
0:33:53 > 0:33:56It happens at a rapid pace, my friend, doesn't it?
0:33:56 > 0:33:59Endless sauce being put on.
0:33:59 > 0:34:01The cans are passing at such a rapid rate
0:34:01 > 0:34:05that the sauce has to be squirted in at high pressure.
0:34:05 > 0:34:06How many of these running?
0:34:06 > 0:34:10We've actually got six other lines all working flat-out.
0:34:11 > 0:34:15After the sauce, we've got the beans in the can, the sauce in the can,
0:34:15 > 0:34:16then it puts a lid on.
0:34:18 > 0:34:22Here in filling, the can ends are stacked into a machine by hand.
0:34:24 > 0:34:26Whatever you do, don't drop it
0:34:26 > 0:34:28or else we'll end up with all them can ends everywhere.
0:34:28 > 0:34:31How long do they take to pick up if I get it wrong?
0:34:31 > 0:34:33I don't know, but I'll time you if you do.
0:34:36 > 0:34:38Yeah!
0:34:40 > 0:34:43Finally, the cans are sealed,
0:34:43 > 0:34:47but I've just realised the beans haven't been cooked.
0:34:47 > 0:34:50- They're not cooked yet, are they? - No, they're not cooked yet.
0:34:50 > 0:34:51Them beans are blanched.
0:34:51 > 0:34:54They get cooked further down.
0:34:54 > 0:34:55Inside the tin?
0:34:55 > 0:34:57Inside the tin.
0:34:58 > 0:35:01The beans and the sauce are cooked together in a sealed tin?
0:35:01 > 0:35:03- Yes.- Already sealed up?
0:35:03 > 0:35:05- Already sealed up.- Not cooked yet?
0:35:05 > 0:35:07Not cooked yet.
0:35:07 > 0:35:09Does that sound right to you?
0:35:09 > 0:35:10That's our process, Gregg.
0:35:10 > 0:35:13Now, I'll be blown. Who knew that?
0:35:13 > 0:35:18No-one would ever dream that those beans go into that can uncooked.
0:35:19 > 0:35:22Cooking them once they're in the can kills any bacteria
0:35:22 > 0:35:25that might be inside, preserving the contents.
0:35:25 > 0:35:28And Cherry's been finding out exactly how long
0:35:28 > 0:35:30tinned food will last.
0:35:34 > 0:35:38If you're anything like me, tins are bought for a rainy day
0:35:38 > 0:35:41and then they end up at the back of the cupboard, gathering dust.
0:35:41 > 0:35:46But how long can they sit there and still be OK to eat?
0:35:46 > 0:35:48If they're past their best before date,
0:35:48 > 0:35:52they can still be used as long as they're not dented, punctured,
0:35:52 > 0:35:57swollen or rusty, but is canned food as nutritious as fresh?
0:35:58 > 0:36:02To find out, I'm going to the Health and Life Sciences Department
0:36:02 > 0:36:04at the University of Coventry.
0:36:04 > 0:36:06First, I've brought them a tin of tomatoes
0:36:06 > 0:36:1014 months past its best before date.
0:36:10 > 0:36:13Dietician Carla Phillips is going to measure the amount of vitamin C
0:36:13 > 0:36:17in the tinned tomatoes and compare that to fresh ones.
0:36:17 > 0:36:20We've got some fresh tomatoes here, so we need to blend them down
0:36:20 > 0:36:23and then we can extract the vitamin C.
0:36:23 > 0:36:24Here we go.
0:36:27 > 0:36:31Scientist Andrew Reid puts our tinned and fresh samples
0:36:31 > 0:36:33into a liquid chromatographer
0:36:33 > 0:36:36to separate and measure their vitamin C levels.
0:36:36 > 0:36:39So, the results show that the fresh tomatoes that we bought today
0:36:39 > 0:36:42have the same vitamin C level as the tinned tomatoes.
0:36:42 > 0:36:45What?! I'm completely gobsmacked.
0:36:45 > 0:36:48Well, we can explain that because these would have been tinned
0:36:48 > 0:36:49as soon as they were picked
0:36:49 > 0:36:53and these fresh tomatoes might have been hanging around in a warehouse
0:36:53 > 0:36:54before they went to the supermarket,
0:36:54 > 0:36:59so the vitamin C content will degrade from these fresh products.
0:36:59 > 0:37:01So, canning preserves the nutrients,
0:37:01 > 0:37:05whereas in fresh food, they continually degrade.
0:37:05 > 0:37:08Next, the lab has found another can to test.
0:37:08 > 0:37:11It's, er, slightly out of date.
0:37:11 > 0:37:15- What?- 45-year-old can of Skippers.
0:37:19 > 0:37:21Oh, it comes with a key.
0:37:21 > 0:37:24- I think you put that bit in there. - Yeah, I think so.
0:37:24 > 0:37:28- These fish haven't been out of bed for 45 years.- I know.
0:37:28 > 0:37:30Absolutely.
0:37:30 > 0:37:33Theoretically, there's no limit on how long fish
0:37:33 > 0:37:35can be kept nutritionally sound in a can.
0:37:35 > 0:37:38That is absolutely incredible.
0:37:38 > 0:37:41- They look fresh, they smell fresh.- Mm-hmm.
0:37:41 > 0:37:43But what I would like to know is,
0:37:43 > 0:37:45are there any hidden microbes in there?
0:37:45 > 0:37:46We shall find out.
0:37:47 > 0:37:50To see if the fish is still safe to eat,
0:37:50 > 0:37:55microbiologist Dr Daniel Amund places samples on Petri dishes
0:37:55 > 0:37:57that need to be incubated for microtesting.
0:37:57 > 0:37:59The results will take five days.
0:38:01 > 0:38:04As a dietician, would you recommend cans?
0:38:04 > 0:38:07- Absolutely.- They're a great way of helping us to meet our nutritional
0:38:07 > 0:38:10requirements. You know, if we buy fresh fruit and vegetables,
0:38:10 > 0:38:11then they can stay in our fridge
0:38:11 > 0:38:13and if we don't use them up quick enough,
0:38:13 > 0:38:16then the nutrients can become less over time,
0:38:16 > 0:38:18but tinned vegetables will really keep the nutrition
0:38:18 > 0:38:20locked in for longer.
0:38:20 > 0:38:22So, fresh is wonderful if eaten quickly,
0:38:22 > 0:38:27but cans are a fantastic way of getting good food into our body
0:38:27 > 0:38:29- very conveniently.- Absolutely.
0:38:30 > 0:38:32And the old tin of Skippers?
0:38:32 > 0:38:35After a sample was incubated in a Petri dish for five days,
0:38:35 > 0:38:39it showed no signs of bacterial growth.
0:38:39 > 0:38:43So, remarkably, after 45 years, the fish is fit to eat.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51But before you eat any food from out-of-date cans,
0:38:51 > 0:38:54make sure the can is intact and in good condition
0:38:54 > 0:38:56and the contents look and smell OK.
0:39:02 > 0:39:03Back at the factory,
0:39:03 > 0:39:07it's been 52 minutes since I released my beans from the bag.
0:39:08 > 0:39:11They've already been blanched and sealed inside the can.
0:39:11 > 0:39:14Now, it's finally time to cook them.
0:39:15 > 0:39:18Cooker manager Greg Leach is responsible for cooking
0:39:18 > 0:39:21three million cans of beans every day.
0:39:28 > 0:39:31Welcome to the surreal world of bean cooking.
0:39:40 > 0:39:41Where's this steam coming from?
0:39:41 > 0:39:43We've got a massive boiler plant on-site.
0:39:43 > 0:39:45It's generating the steam
0:39:45 > 0:39:47and it's pumping it through pipes straight into our cookers.
0:39:47 > 0:39:51Mate, how many beans are you cooking?
0:39:51 > 0:39:54So, on all five cookers, probably about 800,000 cans
0:39:54 > 0:39:56every eight hours.
0:39:56 > 0:39:58This is a sci-fi movie, isn't it?
0:39:58 > 0:40:02Well, you can feel it moving below, all those reels bumping around.
0:40:02 > 0:40:04One big drive cog pushing everything.
0:40:09 > 0:40:11Just like a household pressure cooker,
0:40:11 > 0:40:13steam is used to raise the pressure
0:40:13 > 0:40:17and the temperature inside the cooking chamber.
0:40:17 > 0:40:20There are five chambers in each cooker
0:40:20 > 0:40:24and inside each one is a giant corkscrew,
0:40:24 > 0:40:25which continuously turns,
0:40:25 > 0:40:28moving the cans from one end of the chamber to the other.
0:40:30 > 0:40:33The movement mixes the beans and sauce inside the can
0:40:33 > 0:40:35and the heat from the steam cooks them.
0:40:37 > 0:40:41Seven minutes later, they move on to the next chamber.
0:40:41 > 0:40:43So what we do is we send it up one way, transfer it,
0:40:43 > 0:40:46send it all the way back, transfer it again,
0:40:46 > 0:40:48send it all the way back up this end.
0:40:48 > 0:40:52Why don't you just make a great big pot of beans and sauce,
0:40:52 > 0:40:55cook it up, stick it in a can?
0:40:55 > 0:40:58Well, we can't guarantee that there won't be bacteria in that product
0:40:58 > 0:41:01when we've cooked it up and we're sealing that bacteria in a can
0:41:01 > 0:41:03and caused a spoiled product or dangerous product
0:41:03 > 0:41:06on the other side of the process.
0:41:06 > 0:41:0921 minutes at a high temperature and pressure
0:41:09 > 0:41:12kills any bacteria inside the can
0:41:12 > 0:41:18and means the beans will be good to eat for at least the next 16 months.
0:41:18 > 0:41:20That's why it's perfectly preserved.
0:41:20 > 0:41:22That is the beauty of canning.
0:41:22 > 0:41:24It controls bacteria.
0:41:24 > 0:41:26A lot of responsibility on you here.
0:41:26 > 0:41:30- Yes.- You could argue that this might be the most important bit.
0:41:30 > 0:41:31It is, it is.
0:41:31 > 0:41:34It guarantees our food safety, it guarantees our quality
0:41:34 > 0:41:36and it guarantees the shelf life.
0:41:36 > 0:41:39We do this correctly, when you open a can in eight months or ten months,
0:41:39 > 0:41:42it'll be as good as the day we made it.
0:41:42 > 0:41:47So it turns out that baked beans aren't actually baked after all.
0:41:47 > 0:41:50They're cooked using steam.
0:41:50 > 0:41:53Mate, what it takes to give us beans on toast, eh?
0:41:57 > 0:42:00I use quite a bit of canned food when I cook.
0:42:00 > 0:42:02I use tinned tomatoes for pasta sauces
0:42:02 > 0:42:04and I use tinned fruit when I make a crumble.
0:42:04 > 0:42:07There are some people, however, that turn their nose up at canned food.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10They think it's common.
0:42:10 > 0:42:12Well, those people would be surprised to know
0:42:12 > 0:42:15there was a time when canned food in your larder
0:42:15 > 0:42:17was the absolute epitome of poshness.
0:42:21 > 0:42:26I'm on a quest to find out where our passion for baked beans began
0:42:26 > 0:42:31and, rather surprisingly, that story begins at the Queen's grocers.
0:42:33 > 0:42:34In the mid-19th century,
0:42:34 > 0:42:38Fortnum and Mason in London were the leading supplier of tinned goods
0:42:38 > 0:42:41to the British Empire, supplying their luxury tins
0:42:41 > 0:42:46to the wealthy and military officers touring overseas.
0:42:46 > 0:42:50In 1886, an entrepreneurial American by the name of Henry Heinz
0:42:50 > 0:42:54arrived here with a single suitcase full of samples
0:42:54 > 0:42:59of seven of his newest varieties, mostly condiments like ketchup.
0:42:59 > 0:43:04By all accounts, he was astonished to hear the purchasing manager say,
0:43:04 > 0:43:06"I think, Mr Heinz, we'll take the lot."
0:43:08 > 0:43:1015 years later in 1901,
0:43:10 > 0:43:15Fortnum's were the first to sell a new Heinz product - baked beans.
0:43:17 > 0:43:20But the ambitious American wanted much more.
0:43:20 > 0:43:24He intended to take tins to the mass market.
0:43:29 > 0:43:32And his baked beans were at the forefront of the revolution.
0:43:36 > 0:43:39Polly Russell is a food historian for the British Library.
0:43:39 > 0:43:42- SHE LAUGHS - Thank you.- One beans on toast.
0:43:42 > 0:43:43Lovely!
0:43:43 > 0:43:48Tell me, how is it that food that started out as a supreme luxury
0:43:48 > 0:43:50ended up being something that we all eat?
0:43:50 > 0:43:53Well, I think Henry Heinz has got to take quite a bit of credit
0:43:53 > 0:43:56for popularising tinned food,
0:43:56 > 0:43:58particularly things like baked beans.
0:43:58 > 0:44:01So in 1905/1906,
0:44:01 > 0:44:04here is one of the earliest adverts for Heinz
0:44:04 > 0:44:07and here you see the workers streaming out of the factory,
0:44:07 > 0:44:11coming towards this sort of wholesome bowl of baked beans
0:44:11 > 0:44:15and it says, "What a hunger the morning's work has given you
0:44:15 > 0:44:18"and how little time you have to satisfy its cravings.
0:44:18 > 0:44:21"You want something cheap, ready and sustaining."
0:44:21 > 0:44:23I find it quite extraordinary, really,
0:44:23 > 0:44:25that we took to something like baked beans.
0:44:25 > 0:44:28I mean, this bears no resemblance
0:44:28 > 0:44:30to any traditional British food before it.
0:44:30 > 0:44:33No, you're absolutely right. This is not a traditional food.
0:44:33 > 0:44:35This is a completely different food.
0:44:35 > 0:44:38And how long did it take, you know, to move from a completely new food
0:44:38 > 0:44:40to something that we take for granted?
0:44:40 > 0:44:42Baked beans are first introduced into Britain
0:44:42 > 0:44:44in the late 19th century.
0:44:44 > 0:44:49By the 1920s, Heinz has got its first state-of-the-art factory
0:44:49 > 0:44:53and baked beans are actually being produced in this country by 1928
0:44:53 > 0:44:56and what you see is that sales are doubling
0:44:56 > 0:44:58every four and a half years.
0:44:59 > 0:45:01And that's how baked beans conquered Britain.
0:45:02 > 0:45:07We now get through more than two million cans of them every day.
0:45:14 > 0:45:17In just one hour and 27 minutes,
0:45:17 > 0:45:22my beans have been blanched, laser-checked, put in a can,
0:45:22 > 0:45:24covered in tomato sauce
0:45:24 > 0:45:27and sent spiralling through a pressure cooker.
0:45:27 > 0:45:30They've been cooked with the lid already sealed on,
0:45:30 > 0:45:34so, every two hours, a team of experts take a can
0:45:34 > 0:45:36off the production line and taste it,
0:45:36 > 0:45:40checking the texture of the beans and the flavour of the sauce.
0:45:40 > 0:45:42As soon as my beans get the green light,
0:45:42 > 0:45:45it's time to put a label on them.
0:45:45 > 0:45:48Today, that's Hayley Wright's job.
0:45:48 > 0:45:51There's a hole in the wall where the cooker is
0:45:51 > 0:45:52and they come straight through to you.
0:45:52 > 0:45:54- Yeah.- How many?
0:45:54 > 0:45:56We package over three million a day.
0:45:57 > 0:45:59- These are still really warm. - They are warm.
0:45:59 > 0:46:01These are straight from the cooker.
0:46:01 > 0:46:03This is the way that we normally label.
0:46:03 > 0:46:07A machine sprays each can with a mist of glue
0:46:07 > 0:46:09and sticks on a label.
0:46:09 > 0:46:11It's all carefully monitored.
0:46:11 > 0:46:14The light that you can see shining is actually a camera.
0:46:14 > 0:46:17That is taking a photograph of every single label that's applied.
0:46:17 > 0:46:21That's to make sure that every label has been stuck on straight.
0:46:22 > 0:46:24Are my beans finally ready to go?
0:46:24 > 0:46:26They're almost ready to go.
0:46:26 > 0:46:28We just need to do a couple more quality checks.
0:46:28 > 0:46:30- You're kidding me! - No, I'll just show you.
0:46:30 > 0:46:32Listen, they're cooked, they're in the can - they've got to be OK!
0:46:32 > 0:46:34Let me just show you our final quality check.
0:46:36 > 0:46:39So, we need to ensure that the beans have got a vacuum.
0:46:39 > 0:46:42What we mean by a vacuum is that the end is actually in a concave
0:46:42 > 0:46:45so if you feel that, it's a nice tight vacuum that's in the can.
0:46:45 > 0:46:49If a can gets knocked or dented, creating a hole,
0:46:49 > 0:46:50the vacuum will be broken
0:46:50 > 0:46:54and the bottom of the can will bulge outwards.
0:46:54 > 0:46:56Luckily, the factory have a way of preventing
0:46:56 > 0:46:58any of those from getting through.
0:46:58 > 0:47:02Right. I've opened that just a little bit, right?
0:47:02 > 0:47:05- Yep.- And now I'm going to push the lid down so the machine can't tell.
0:47:05 > 0:47:07- Yep.- That looks like a sealed can, right?
0:47:07 > 0:47:10- Correct.- But you reckon now the bottom will have changed.
0:47:10 > 0:47:13- Yes.- I'm going to make a little scrape in it.
0:47:13 > 0:47:14All right, that's ours.
0:47:14 > 0:47:16- Put it back in the machine.- OK.
0:47:18 > 0:47:21The can passes through a sensor which checks its bottom.
0:47:21 > 0:47:25Even the smallest bulge will indicate there's a leak in the can
0:47:25 > 0:47:26and it would be rejected.
0:47:29 > 0:47:32HE LAUGHS That's ridiculous!
0:47:32 > 0:47:33That's not the neatest,
0:47:33 > 0:47:36but that is in the top three neatest things I've seen today.
0:47:38 > 0:47:41Canned food is a great way to eat on a budget,
0:47:41 > 0:47:44but does that mean you have to compromise on taste?
0:47:44 > 0:47:48Well, Cherry is conducting an experiment to find out.
0:47:52 > 0:47:56I've taken over the restaurant of a swanky hotel in Richmond-upon-Thames
0:47:56 > 0:48:01and invited a group of foodies to help me with a tasting.
0:48:01 > 0:48:05These people think they're coming here to check out the new menu.
0:48:05 > 0:48:07Well, I've got a bit of a surprise for them in the kitchen.
0:48:07 > 0:48:10Their meal will be coming from tins.
0:48:12 > 0:48:16I'm conducting an experiment with Jack Monroe.
0:48:16 > 0:48:17Hi, Jack, nice to meet you.
0:48:17 > 0:48:18- I'm Cherry.- Hi!
0:48:19 > 0:48:22Jack's a food writer known for budget-friendly recipes
0:48:22 > 0:48:26and thinks canned foods have a bit of an image problem.
0:48:26 > 0:48:28We get bombarded with messages
0:48:28 > 0:48:31and especially these days from, like, health gurus
0:48:31 > 0:48:32and health food bloggers
0:48:32 > 0:48:35and I think there's just a slight snobbery around using cans,
0:48:35 > 0:48:37- if I'm honest.- Yes.
0:48:38 > 0:48:42Today, Jack's hoping to persuade me and our discerning diners
0:48:42 > 0:48:45that canned food can be as delicious as fresh
0:48:45 > 0:48:48and at a fraction of the price.
0:48:48 > 0:48:50I'm an avid supporter of the tin.
0:48:50 > 0:48:53You have a CAN-do attitude.
0:48:53 > 0:48:54I like it!
0:48:54 > 0:48:59Jack's going to produce a two-course gourmet meal for our guests -
0:48:59 > 0:49:03croquette de poisson and then chana masala.
0:49:03 > 0:49:05All the ingredients will come from cans,
0:49:05 > 0:49:08apart from some herbs and spices which will add flavour,
0:49:08 > 0:49:11but costs should still be minimal.
0:49:11 > 0:49:14That's what I'm going to do and hope that they love it, too.
0:49:14 > 0:49:16So, put me to work cos I'm not the world's best cook,
0:49:16 > 0:49:19but I can work a tin opener.
0:49:19 > 0:49:20Excellent!
0:49:20 > 0:49:22First, the croquette de poisson -
0:49:22 > 0:49:26fishcakes made from tinned sardines and a value can of potatoes.
0:49:27 > 0:49:31I've never used a canned potato in my own home.
0:49:31 > 0:49:34Are they cheaper than normal potatoes?
0:49:34 > 0:49:35Actually, yes.
0:49:35 > 0:49:38You're looking at 30p for a kilo of tinned potatoes
0:49:38 > 0:49:41or 70p for a kilo of fresh potatoes.
0:49:41 > 0:49:43- That's amazing!- Somebody's already done the hard work for you.
0:49:43 > 0:49:46They're peeled, they're parboiled,
0:49:46 > 0:49:48they're ready to go and they're half the price.
0:49:50 > 0:49:54The potatoes are mashed together with the sardines along with flour,
0:49:54 > 0:49:58parsley, a splash of lemon juice and paprika.
0:49:58 > 0:50:01The most expensive ingredient is the tinned fish
0:50:01 > 0:50:04and even that is only 40p a can.
0:50:04 > 0:50:07What size is the average boutique fishcake?
0:50:07 > 0:50:09I think quite small.
0:50:09 > 0:50:10- Yeah?- Yes.
0:50:11 > 0:50:13Look at my baby!
0:50:13 > 0:50:16The fishcakes seem to be shaping up OK,
0:50:16 > 0:50:20but I'm not sure the curry, also assembled entirely from tins,
0:50:20 > 0:50:21will be as appetising.
0:50:23 > 0:50:26Tinned chickpeas, peaches, spinach, tomatoes,
0:50:26 > 0:50:28along with a chopped onion,
0:50:28 > 0:50:32garlic and some herbs are all simmering away in one pot.
0:50:33 > 0:50:37Now that we've added a few herbs and spices,
0:50:37 > 0:50:41it's really starting to smell and look amazing.
0:50:41 > 0:50:44I can't wait to see what they're going to make of these.
0:50:44 > 0:50:45Fingers crossed they like them.
0:50:48 > 0:50:51Here we go! It is ready!
0:50:51 > 0:50:55Let's see if our starter makes the grade with our discerning diners.
0:50:56 > 0:50:57All right, bon appetit!
0:51:03 > 0:51:05- Cheers!- Cheers!
0:51:05 > 0:51:07For me, the flavour of the sardine fishcake
0:51:07 > 0:51:10is as good as any fresh equivalent.
0:51:10 > 0:51:11I love it!
0:51:11 > 0:51:14- Thanks.- You would never know that was from a can.
0:51:14 > 0:51:16But what do our guests think?
0:51:16 > 0:51:17I thought it was really yummy.
0:51:17 > 0:51:19The flavours were really well integrated.
0:51:19 > 0:51:23There was a lovely texture, little bits of potato.
0:51:23 > 0:51:25Fantastic. It's lovely.
0:51:25 > 0:51:27I thought it was really, really nice.
0:51:27 > 0:51:28I enjoyed it.
0:51:28 > 0:51:30Could maybe have done with another four, but, you know.
0:51:30 > 0:51:33But not everyone was impressed by the recipe.
0:51:34 > 0:51:37What I missed was a bit of heat in it.
0:51:38 > 0:51:40Chilli, maybe.
0:51:40 > 0:51:42But it's a good start.
0:51:42 > 0:51:44The fishcakes passed the taste test.
0:51:44 > 0:51:47Will our curry made from tinned chickpeas,
0:51:47 > 0:51:49spinach and peaches fare as well?
0:51:49 > 0:51:50Enjoy!
0:51:53 > 0:51:55It is jolly good. There's lovely aromas coming through.
0:51:55 > 0:51:56Yes, exactly.
0:51:56 > 0:51:58It just tastes really, really fresh.
0:51:58 > 0:52:00Light and clean tasting, yeah.
0:52:00 > 0:52:03Generally, nice textures and flavours in the mouth.
0:52:04 > 0:52:08The meal has definitely won over the educated palates of our diners.
0:52:08 > 0:52:11Time to come clean about our recipes.
0:52:11 > 0:52:17- Well, this is chef, Jack Monroe. - Well... Hi, I hope you enjoyed it.
0:52:17 > 0:52:22Would you like to see what Jack used to make your food?
0:52:22 > 0:52:23- Yes.- Yes.
0:52:23 > 0:52:27- You might be slightly surprised at this...- Ready?- ..or disgusted!
0:52:27 > 0:52:29- Ta-da!- Wow.
0:52:29 > 0:52:31Yes!
0:52:31 > 0:52:35Jack specialises in making meals on a very low budget.
0:52:35 > 0:52:41Would you like to tell us how much it cost per head to make that meal?
0:52:41 > 0:52:45So, your fishcakes came in at 17p-a-head
0:52:45 > 0:52:48and that included your parsley garnish and your lemon wedge.
0:52:49 > 0:52:52Your curry came in at 27p
0:52:52 > 0:52:54and it included your little bit of coriander as well.
0:52:54 > 0:52:58And the potatoes on the side came in at 9p each.
0:52:58 > 0:53:02So, that two-course meal cost about 60p a head.
0:53:04 > 0:53:06I am impressed. I am impressed.
0:53:15 > 0:53:18I've been really pleasantly surprised by today.
0:53:18 > 0:53:21I have to admit I think I was a bit of a can snob before,
0:53:21 > 0:53:24but Jack has really broadened my mind
0:53:24 > 0:53:27to substituting some items into my everyday cooking
0:53:27 > 0:53:31to bring my family food budget down without sacrificing on taste.
0:53:31 > 0:53:33Most enjoyable.
0:53:42 > 0:53:46Back at the factory, my finished can has been labelled.
0:53:46 > 0:53:50Next, it's wrapped and stacked onto a pallet by two dancing robots.
0:53:54 > 0:53:57But before the cans are sent out to the supermarket,
0:53:57 > 0:54:02they pass through the factory's national distribution centre.
0:54:02 > 0:54:06Almost all Heinz products made at their UK factories are stored here.
0:54:07 > 0:54:11As well as beans, soup and spaghetti made at this factory,
0:54:11 > 0:54:15the warehouse will also store everything from tomato ketchup
0:54:15 > 0:54:17to salad cream.
0:54:17 > 0:54:21Paul Andrews is head of logistics for this mammoth operation.
0:54:22 > 0:54:25Oh, my word!
0:54:25 > 0:54:27What on earth?!
0:54:27 > 0:54:28It's amazing, isn't it?
0:54:28 > 0:54:31That's just breathtaking.
0:54:31 > 0:54:36In this warehouse here, we can store 70,000 pallets of products.
0:54:36 > 0:54:39And, imagine, on each pallet, there's roughly 100 cases.
0:54:39 > 0:54:44This is the largest food storage site in the UK.
0:54:44 > 0:54:45It's warm in here.
0:54:45 > 0:54:47Do you heat this warehouse?
0:54:47 > 0:54:48No, we don't need to at all.
0:54:48 > 0:54:50These beans that have come in here today,
0:54:50 > 0:54:52they're still warm from the factory so, actually,
0:54:52 > 0:54:56all the heat from the product is heating the warehouse here.
0:54:56 > 0:54:57No way!
0:54:57 > 0:55:00The heat I can feel, because this is markedly warmer than out there,
0:55:00 > 0:55:02is just the heat from the cooked beans?
0:55:02 > 0:55:05It's just the heat from the cooked beans.
0:55:05 > 0:55:07Is anybody driving those cranes?
0:55:07 > 0:55:09These cranes are all automatic.
0:55:12 > 0:55:14I don't like it. It feels eerie.
0:55:14 > 0:55:17When the pallet comes in, it sends a message to the crane,
0:55:17 > 0:55:19telling the crane to pick up that pallet
0:55:19 > 0:55:21and then go and locate it in the warehouse.
0:55:21 > 0:55:23Times 70,000 pallets!
0:55:23 > 0:55:28Mate, this is just food on a giant scale.
0:55:28 > 0:55:30That's what it takes to feed the nation.
0:55:33 > 0:55:34Just two hours ago,
0:55:34 > 0:55:37I was hoisting my bag of beans into place
0:55:37 > 0:55:40and releasing them into the factory.
0:55:40 > 0:55:43Now, they are under the control of these giant cranes.
0:55:45 > 0:55:49The pallets of cans are stored in the warehouse for 17 hours
0:55:49 > 0:55:52while final quality tests are completed...
0:55:53 > 0:55:56..before being rolled out, ready for departure.
0:55:57 > 0:55:58Take it out and stick it on a lorry.
0:55:58 > 0:55:59Off it goes.
0:55:59 > 0:56:04All of these coming past me are all going to shops -
0:56:04 > 0:56:08- a constant conveyor belt into our kitchens.- Into your kitchens.
0:56:08 > 0:56:09Never-ending.
0:56:14 > 0:56:19They make three million cans of baked beans here every single day,
0:56:19 > 0:56:21but then when you think about it, there's hardly a kitchen
0:56:21 > 0:56:24in the whole country that hasn't got a tin of beans in it.
0:56:24 > 0:56:27It's the only product I know that we would happily eat
0:56:27 > 0:56:29for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
0:56:30 > 0:56:34What I didn't realise is the incredible technology
0:56:34 > 0:56:37that goes into making such an inexpensive and everyday item.
0:56:38 > 0:56:39I suppose, in a way,
0:56:39 > 0:56:44it's quite fitting that the country that eats the most baked beans also
0:56:44 > 0:56:47has the biggest baked bean factory on Earth.
0:56:49 > 0:56:51Beans made at this factory in Wigan
0:56:51 > 0:56:54will go to homes all over the UK,
0:56:54 > 0:56:58with the north-west taking the crown for the biggest bean-eaters.
0:56:58 > 0:57:00They also head to Ireland...
0:57:00 > 0:57:01and Europe.
0:57:01 > 0:57:03In fact, all over the world,
0:57:03 > 0:57:06as far away as Nigeria, India
0:57:06 > 0:57:10and Australia, who eat more baked beans than any other country
0:57:10 > 0:57:11outside the UK.
0:57:14 > 0:57:15Last one?
0:57:15 > 0:57:17- Yeah.- All done?
0:57:17 > 0:57:19Thanks, mate. Thank you very much.
0:57:25 > 0:57:27There -
0:57:27 > 0:57:293,000 tins of beans on that lorry
0:57:29 > 0:57:33and I saw those beans come in, dried, from North America.
0:57:33 > 0:57:34But who knows?
0:57:34 > 0:57:37In a few days, someone might be dipping their chips into them.
0:57:37 > 0:57:39OK, let's go!
0:57:42 > 0:57:43BEAN and gone.
0:57:47 > 0:57:48Next time...
0:57:48 > 0:57:49Wheels!
0:57:49 > 0:57:53..I'll be visiting the UK's largest bike manufacturer...
0:57:53 > 0:57:55You're part-man, part-bicycle now, aren't you?
0:57:55 > 0:57:58- HE LAUGHS - I think I'm robot now.
0:57:58 > 0:58:00..to have a go at building my own...
0:58:00 > 0:58:02So, that's...
0:58:02 > 0:58:03that bit.
0:58:03 > 0:58:04Let's go, let's go!
0:58:04 > 0:58:07..and Cherry gets some Olympic tips...
0:58:07 > 0:58:10So, if you want to make yourself as small as possible.
0:58:10 > 0:58:13..that'll transform everyone's bike ride.
0:58:13 > 0:58:15She looks faster already.
0:58:15 > 0:58:16- Woo!- All right!