Food and Nutrition | When Were Frozen Foods First Available Commercially?
When were frozen foods first available commercially?
In 1925, Clarence Birdseye (1887-1956) discovered that quick-freezing allowed food to retain its flavor. The faster the freezing, the less danger there was that ice crystals would rupture the cell walls of the food item, thus releasing natural juices. Birdseye patented his quick-freezing process, which involved placing food between two metal plates that had a temperature below 0° Fahrenheit (-18° Celsius).
In 1929, Birdseye sold his company to Postum Cereal Company, which founded General Foods. At the time of the sale it was agreed that Birdseye's name (as two words—"Bird's Eye") would become the brand name for frozen food items the company was marketing as of September, 1930. Those items included peas, spinach, raspberries, cherries, fish, and meat.
Sources: DeBono, Edward. Eureka! p. 116; Harris, Harry. Good...
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