Probably the most important invention ever by humanity was the refrigerator. Once we had refrigeration, meat could be kept fresh or frozen for very long periods

Probably the most important invention ever by humanity was the refrigerator. Once we had refrigeration, meat could be kept fresh or frozen for very long periods of time. So could fish. Till refrigeration came along, the most important usage of salt was in preserving food. In wars like the US Civil War for instance, special missions were undertaken by the Union to destroy the Confederacy's Salt Works. That then meant that the Confederates could not preserve sufficient food, and therefore the Confederate soldiers had problems with malnutrition, one of the reasons the Confederacy lost the US Civil War.