Frozen foods have been a recent creation over the past decade, but who started it and why? For those curious about what’s so great about frozen foods, then it’s good to know that this day is Frozen Food Day, a day dedicated to celebrating the history of frozen foods.
History of Frozen Food Day
Frozen foods have been around for ages, but the idea of frozen, microwavable foods began when Clarence Frank Birdseye II, a biologist for the US government, set up Birdseye Seafoods.
After earning the first frozen foods freezing process patent in 1927, Birdseye created the Birdseye company and is now considered to be one of the founders of the frozen food industry.
Frozen foods at this time would usually have been heated with the traditional oven, but it wasn’t until the early 1940s to ’50s that fast, easy heating would come into play.
The microwave was accidentally discovered by Percy Spencer, an American self-taught engineer, in 1945 and afterward was bought by and patented by Raytheon for Spencer’s microwave cooking process.
Afterward, TV dinners developed in 1950 by the Swanson company, which became the first frozen food dinner to be highly successful.
Once microwaves became accessible to the public throughout the ’70s and ’80s, President Ronald Reagan memorialized frozen foods by proclaiming Frozen Food Day as a U.S holiday in 1984.
While back then, there may have been only one small section dedicated to frozen foods, today, there are aisles of frozen foods from various companies that allow consumers to reheat readily made foods in under 30 minutes.
Today, organizations such as the National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association celebrate the day to bring to light the benefits that frozen foods can have towards saving money and bringing families together for a meal.
How to Celebrate Frozen Food Day
Celebrate Frozen Food Day by looking around in the frozen foods section at your local grocery store. Today, many brands and product lines have been innovative with new health lines, paying attention to dietary habits and nutrition requirements, giving way to many options such as gluten-free, vegan, non-dairy, etcetera. Combine frozen foods with fresh produce and make your meals with your family unique and easy at the same time.
Share your food creations on your favorite social media website using the hashtag #frozenfoodday and let your friends know this day’s all about celebrating your favorite foods in the frozen section.
