Research and preparation for non-metallic canned goods began in 1940, marking the emergence of stealth packaging-retort pouches-in the world of packaging. The United States was the first to conduct research and development on stealth packaging.
From 1958, the U.S. Army Natick Research Laboratory began research on stealth canned food for military use, conducting extensive development, prototyping, and performance testing. Stealth cans began battlefield use in 1960. In 1969, the retort pouch food developed by the U.S. Army Natick Research Laboratory, possessing certain performance characteristics, was used in the Apollo space program. Retort pouches, considered the second generation of canned food, hold significant importance in the development of food packaging.
