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 dietary habits, methods of long-term storage have always been appreciated, the most effective of which was considered to be freezing. Blocks of ice were often used for this purpose, which were cut down in winter on rivers or artificially flooded hills and folded into deep basements. This ice did not melt even in summer, serving as a kind of precursor to the modern refrigerator.
Currently, food preservation by various freezing methods is widely used all over the world, and in America it is even noted National frozen food day (National Frozen Food Day). It is celebrated annually – it was on this day in 1930 that the first frozen food began to be sold in Springfield (USA).
The revolution in the food industry was made by Clarence Birdsay (Clarence Birdseye). He reportedly came up with the idea for freezing food while traveling by dog sled in the Canadian peninsula of Labrador.
Clarence Birdseye was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1886 and was one of eight children. Since childhood, Clarence loved nature, studied biology. His interest in nature and the environment helped him find his first job as a naturalist for the US Department of Agriculture. In 1912 he went on an expedition to Labrador (Canada), where he traveled with the medical missionary William Grenfell. On the expedition, he learns about the large profits from hunting and breeding foxes for fur in Labrador. For five years, he travels long distances on dog sleds, 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.
The advent of frozen foods represented a significant advance in canning technology. Today’s freezing methods allow us to preserve nutrients and vitamins in food as much as possible. Perishable foodstuffs (fish, meat, poultry, fruits and fruit juices, berries and vegetables) are sent to packing and packing factories located near farms, where they are sorted, cleaned of all excess, washed, packaged and frozen, bringing the temperature to -60 ° FROM.
When using high-quality raw materials and observing all technological requirements, the frozen product is practically not inferior in its nutritional value to the fresh one. However, it is very important that in the future they are stored and transported correctly – at a temperature not higher than -18 ° C.
Home freezing of products is also widespread. As a result, there is a demand for various types of home freezers, where the required temperature is maintained around -18 °. Thus, manufacturers of freezing equipment can rightfully celebrate today’s professional holiday. By the way, as you know, in 1899.