Fridge, pasteurised milk and the tin can top list of food inventions The top three items also edged out the oven, which came fourth, irrigation, fifth, and the combine harvester, which came sixth. Sir Peter Williams, the treasurer and vice-president of the Royal Society and a member of the steering group, said that the results show the "huge role" that science and innovation have played in "improving our health and our lives." Science has a major role to play in meeting the global challenges of the 21st century. We thought it appropriate to look at how that innovation has shaped what we eat and drink," said Sir Peter. Sir Tim Hunt said that the winning inventions are all relatively recent compared to age-old processes such as the plough or baking. He said that issues of health and preservation appeared to have been at the forefront of the Fellows" minds when they voted. The Royal Society said that refrigeration "has played the biggest role of any innovation in improving the diets of millions of people." It said that pasteurisation - the process of heating food to a specific temperature and then cooling it prolongs the food's life and reduces the number of bacteria able to cause disease - has been responsible for "a major improvement in public health." The society said that tin cans "revolutionised the lives of fighting men and explorers, giving them access to a reliable supply of safe and nutricious food." Fellows were asked to vote on the various innovations based on four criteria: accessibility, productivity, aesthetics and health.