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Hello!!
Today, I've heard that in 1941 "Heinz" brand developed self-heating soup cans for the Army for using in the D-Day War.
I think it's quite odd. Has anyone known or heard of this information?


Thanks
Mettnoon

I found this short mention on a Heinz page:

http://www.heinz.co.uk/products/heinz_soup.aspx

Under "Milestones":
1941: One of the most revolutionary inventions of the war years was our self-heating can, invented by Heinz and ICI: self-heating cans of Heinz soups were part of our troops’ rations for the historic D-Day landings.

I have also seen (more recently) a self-heating can of coffee/latte from Wolfgang Puck. Here's a link to some info and pics:

http://www.singleservecoffee.com/archives/001179.php

As I understand it, the concept of self-heating cans using exothermic reaction, has been around since WWI. The technology was used during WWII (didn't know that it was Heinz UK until now, thank you,) and there were some attempt to market it commercially after WWII. I'd guess that the high cost of such a can (close to $5 in today's money) didn't really make it too appealing to the public who was still recovering from the war effort and the trend of using processed foods to create meals was not yet widespread.

I found it rather humorous to hear that OnTech had spent $24M to develop the hotcan for the Wolfgang Puck brand of self-heating coffee drinks. (re-inventing the wheel?)

Thanks
So this technology is for the UK Army, not the US Army, right?
The QM Museum said that the US Army didn't have such self-heating soup cans by Heinz.

mettnoon wrote:Hello!!
Today, I've heard that in 1941 "Heinz" brand developed self-heating soup cans for the Army for using in the D-Day War.
I think it's quite odd. Has anyone known or heard of this information?


Thanks
Mettnoon

My Dad told me about this cans.
When the US-Army invaded our place in January 1945, he got from soldiers "self heating cans". He was a kid at age of 8...

Hi there! im the newby from germany. I recently found one of the selfheating cans and want o share some pics of it with you.so as far as i understood they where only available a limited time in wwII is that correct?
regards from Frankfurt/M former home of the 1. armoured/12 Cav
Gerd

Very cool find
in great condition too, Is the cheese the same age?
The company still make processed cheese and it still looks like it will never go off. Might be still edible, but i'm not that brave.

Apparently there have been self heating cans of soup and stew for camping over here since the 80's. My friend used to use them on cadet camps in the late 80's and 90's. He says his father used them.
I will see if i can find one to show you.

good pix
Yowie

How does the self-heating can work?

I can see part of the instructions say to light a wick. Is it a can within a can or soemthing?

Richard w. wrote:How does the self-heating can work?

I can see part of the instructions say to light a wick. Is it a can within a can or soemthing?

Thats how i understood it. must be a can with a wick and burning paste on top of the can, wich is removed with the top of the can after heating it.please excuse my bad english...regards

Yowie wrote:Very cool find
in great condition too, Is the cheese the same age?
The company still make processed cheese and it still looks like it will never go off. Might be still edible, but i'm not that brave.

Thanks yowie, the cheesecan is empty , after the war was a big foodshortage in germany and canned food didnt survive long..i wonder why someone stored the empty cans in the attic of my house...regards gerd