National Frozen Food Day

Many people still think that frozen food will no longer taste good. But with today's technology, this notion is wrong. Frozen fish meat from the supermarket is completely different from fresh fish bought at the market and put in the freezer compartment, even though both are equally frozen. In fact, frozen food is markedly different from in the freezer. Because of their convenience as well as security, frozen foods appear as a part of American life. In honor of frozen food, March 6 of each year is celebrated as National Frozen Food Day, a celebration that is celebrated on the calendar and enjoyed by everyone.

History of Frozen Food

One of the hallmarks of a true entrepreneur is the ability to spot business opportunities that others overlook. It was this ability that made Clarence Birdseye (1886-1956) a pioneer. He is the one who introduced the revolutionary freezing method into food processing, generating billions of dollars in profits. And he is known as the father of frozen food even though there were many methods of freezing food before that.

During a move to Labrador, Newfoundland to sell furs for a living, Birdseye practiced how the Inuit quickly chilled freshly caught fish. Simply put, the fish is placed on top of the ice, and the combination of ice, wind and temperature freezes the fish almost instantly. When cooked, they taste as fresh as freshly caught fish. Birdseye also realized this when he worked with goose meat, cabbage, reindeer meat that he kept outside his cabin during the long Canadian winter.

In those days, the traditional way of refrigerating food took at least 18 hours. Birdseye understands that efforts to freeze meat and vegetables for sale in the United States have failed, mainly because the food does not retain its flavor or texture. The Inuit rapid cooling method uses large ice cubes, which do not affect the shape of the food, avoid crushing the cellulose structure and thus keep the food fresh. He thinks many people will be happy to pay for such frozen foods.

Having acquired this knowledge, he returned to New York in 1922 and founded his own company, Birdseye Seafood Inc, and began developing rapid refrigeration machinery aimed at retail customers. The initial efforts, while successful from a technical point of view, were a business failure. He could not convince vegetable dealers or housewives that quick-frozen vegetables and fish were different from the flavorless dry foods produced by traditional slow-chilling techniques. The company quickly went bankrupt.

Undaunted, Birdseye continued to work on improving the mechanical system to perfection. In 1924, he developed a process to pack fish and other foods into cartons, and then quickly freeze the insides by compressing them between two flat, chilled planes. Discovering the basic principles for a completely new method of refrigeration, Birdseye decided to open a new company.

Birdseye opened General Seafood Corp with financial help from several entrepreneurs, and the frozen food industry was born. But, despite his revolutionary innovations, he still could not overcome the doubts of customers about his frozen products.

With sales growing slowly, General Seafood had to sell its assets, including its patents, to Postum Co, its value later skyrocketed to a staggering $22 million.

Postum reorganized and appointed Clarence Birdseye as President of the new Birds Eye frozen food company. In 1930, the company launched an advertising campaign aimed at consumer acceptance of a new line of frozen foods. Successful campaign. Birds Eye's wide selection of products from beans, spinach and cherries to fish and a variety of meats is available to choose from.

Freezing food will keep almost intact the original properties in terms of shape as well as nutritional quality inside. Because when frozen at low temperature, microorganisms will be frozen, so they cannot damage food anymore.

Frozen food is not only fish meat but also many other types such as: Spring rolls, frozen processed foods, fish balls and beef balls, dumplings,...

Frozen food definitely won't taste as good as fresh food, but if it's for long-term storage, frozen food will be a better choice.

History of Frozen Food Day

President Ronald Reagan is said to be the founder of Frozen Food Day. In the proclamation No. 5157 that he signed, the content is public: declaring March 6, 1984 as Frozen Food Day, and he urged the people of the United States to observe this day and take appropriate actions. Since then, Frozen Food Day has been celebrated as a holiday in the United States.

Observing National Frozen Food Day

On National Frozen Food Day, the best way to see it is to go to the grocery store and buy processed frozen foods. Enjoy frozen food dishes and rate their taste. Share your National Frozen Food Day with the hashtag #NationalFrozenFoodDay.