National Frozen Food Day in the United States (06/03)

Since ancient times, people have been looking for ways to store various foods without losing their nutritional value. In different countries, under different climatic conditions and nutritional characteristics, long-term storage methods have always been valued, the most effective of which was considered freezing. Often blocks of ice were used for this purpose, which were cut down in winter on rivers or artificially flooded slides and folded into deep basements. This ice did not melt even in the summer, serving as a kind of predecessor to a modern refrigerator.

Currently, food preservation through various freezing methods is widely used throughout the world, and America even celebrates National Frozen Food Day. It is celebrated annually on March 6 — it was on this day that the first frozen food began to be sold in Springfield (USA) in 1930.

The revolution in the food industry was made by Clarence Birdseye. According to reports, the idea of using food freezing methods came to him during a dog sled trip on the Canadian peninsula of Labrador.

Clarence Beardsy was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1886, one of eight children in the family. Since childhood, Clarence loved nature and studied biology. His interest in nature and the environment helped him find his first job — as a naturalist for the USDA. In 1912, he went on an expedition to Labrador (Canada), where he traveled with medical missionary William Grenfell. On the expedition, he learns of the great profits from hunting and breeding foxes for fur in Labrador. For five years he travels long distances on dog sleds and collects furs for sale. During these travels, he came up with the idea of a frozen food business. He saved up money, returned to the United States and opened his own business there selling frozen food.

Home freezing of products has also become widespread (Photo: Leonid Shcheglov, licensed by Shutterstock.com)

The advent of frozen foods has shown significant progress in canning technology. Today's freezing methods make it possible to preserve nutrients and vitamins in foods as much as possible. Perishable food (fish, meat, poultry, fruits and fruit juices, berries and vegetables) goes to filling and packaging factories located near the farms, where they are sorted, cleaned of everything unnecessary, washed, packaged and frozen, bringing the temperature to -60° C.

When using high-quality raw materials and complying with all technological requirements, the frozen product is practically not inferior in nutritional value to fresh ones. However, it is very important that in the future they are stored and transported correctly — at a temperature not exceeding -18° C.

Home freezing of food has also become widespread. As a result, there has been a demand for various types of home freezers, where the required temperature is maintained around -18°. Thus, today’s professional holiday can rightfully be celebrated by manufacturers of freezing equipment. By the way, as you know, the refrigerator was patented in 1899.

1298