Review the details below. Prior to refrigeration , ancient civilizations depended on root cellars , collected ice, salting, and other methods to cool and preserve their foods. Modern refrigeration has reduced the number of-foodborne illnesses and has allowed fresh foods to be transported long distances. The Royal Society named the refrigerator the most important invention in the history of food, followed by pasteurization, canning , and the oven. Choose the best topic sentence to introduce a paragraph containing these details. The invention of the modern refrigerator revolutionized the process of storing food. The modern refrigerator went through many versions as it was developed over more than a century. Ancient civilizations used a variety of techniques to compensate for their lack of refrigeration.