Why in the USSR they produced canned water, and why it was not sold in stores

  • May 20, 2021
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Much is known about the food industry in the Soviet Union. However, even old-timers are often unlikely to recognize a rather original product. It is, however strange it may sound, about canned... water. Indeed, the existence of such a product can, in principle, be questioned, and all because it was produced for a very small group of citizens of the Soviet Union, and it never appeared in stores.
Much is known about the food industry in the Soviet Union. However, even old-timers are often unlikely to recognize a rather original product. It is, however strange it may sound, about canned... water. Indeed, the existence of such a product can, in principle, be questioned, and all because it was produced for a very small group of citizens of the Soviet Union, and it never appeared in stores.
Much is known about the food industry in the Soviet Union. However, even old-timers are often unlikely to recognize a rather original product. It is, however strange it may sound, about canned... water. Indeed, the existence of such a product can, in principle, be questioned, and all because it was produced for a very small group of citizens of the Soviet Union, and it never appeared in stores.
Perhaps the most non-trivial Soviet canned food. / Photo: russian7.ru
Perhaps the most non-trivial Soviet canned food. / Photo: russian7.ru
Perhaps the most non-trivial Soviet canned food. / Photo: russian7.ru

Today, the existence of such a product is known only from photographs on the Internet and canned food offered for sale on various trading platforms in the same place. But in the Soviet Union, even fewer people knew about this water. In fact, these were only its potential consumers, who, by the way, could never try it. We are talking about the servicemen of the Soviet Navy and civilian sailors.

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The main consumers of canned water are sailors. / Photo: readstory.ru
The main consumers of canned water are sailors. / Photo: readstory.ru

The point is that the canned water was part of their emergency supply in case a ship or submarine were in distress in the open ocean. Indeed, without water, a person is able to live much less than without food, and in conditions of extreme situation in the midst of a stratum of exclusively salty water to look for other sources of fresh water practically did not seem possible. The only exception could be rain, but this is, in fact, a lottery.

The product itself, which is part of the sailor's dry ration, was a tin can with a volume of 240 grams. The shelf life of canned water was 24 months. It was produced in several versions, and on some of them the manufacturer placed detailed instructions in case of a disaster:

Disaster guidelines were written on the bank. / Photo: pikabu.ru
Disaster guidelines were written on the bank. / Photo: pikabu.ru

“Save canned water. Collect and drink rainwater, fill all the containers at your disposal with it: use canned water as a last resort. "

In addition, there were instructions for using the water itself. For example, it was prescribed not to open the canned food completely, but to make two punctures in the lid with a can opener and thus use it.

Another version of the instructions for the product. / Photo: allzip.org
Another version of the instructions for the product. / Photo: allzip.org

There is practically no information left about the exact production technology of these non-trivial canned food. However, it is known for certain that not any liquid was rolled into banks: so, according to the Novate.ru editorial office, for an emergency supply of sailors and submariners used only spring water, which was first carefully boiled, and then enriched with vitamins - in this case, ascorbic acid.

Modern version of water storage in seafarers' NZ. / Photo: militarysale.ru
Modern version of water storage in seafarers' NZ. / Photo: militarysale.ru

This method of storing water among the inviolable supply of seafarers is practically unique, after all, only two superpowers - the United States of America and the Soviet Union used canned food. True, if the latter preferred conservation for decades, in the West it was rather a transitional stage to other types of containers during the Cold War.

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Cold War American canned water. / Photo: laughingsquid.com
Cold War American canned water. / Photo: laughingsquid.com

Today, other storage options are already used for these purposes. For example, water is packed aseptically in special laminated foil bags. Its shelf life has also increased - up to five years. And although you won't see such a product on store shelves these days either, the average consumer has no restrictions on ordering it on the Internet.

In addition to the topic: useful life hacks in order to quickly "negotiate" with sealed tin containers -
5 tricky tricks on how to open a tin can without a can opener
A source:
https://novate.ru/blogs/090221/57776/

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