C4IP is recognizing Clarence Birdseye — the “Father of Frozen Food” — whose invention of the quick-freezing method pioneered the modern frozen foods industry.
Clarence Birdseye was born in 1886 in Brooklyn, New York. From an early age, Birdseye had a strong interest in the natural sciences; he studied biology for two years at Amherst College before leaving to work for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Birdseye’s assignments brought him to Arizona, New Mexico, and finally to Labrador in 1912, where he would discover the inspiration for his groundbreaking invention.
At the time, frozen food in the United States was poor in quality and unpopular compared to alternatives like canned or dried food. But in Labrador, Birdseye observed how the Inuit made use of the icy outdoor conditions to quickly freeze fish and game without compromising the food’s flavor or texture.
Realizing that the speed of the freezing method was crucial to preserving food quality, Birdseye returned to the United States, where he invented a machine that could quickly and efficiently freeze fish. He founded Birdseye Seafoods, Inc. in 1924, received a patent for his invention in 1930, and shortly afterward introduced his frozen products to consumers in Springfield, Massachusetts. He also helped develop refrigerated grocery display cases and refrigerated boxcars to expand the new frozen food industry. By 1944, Birdseye frozen foods were transported nationwide.
Today, the frozen food industry — which still uses the quick-freezing techniques invented by Birdseye — is worth over $230 billion globally. Nearly 99 percent of American households purchase frozen food each year, with over two-thirds of Americans consuming frozen food at least once a week. The accessibility of frozen food has helped countless consumers save money and combat food waste.