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Birdseye's food was actually the first frozen food sold commercially in the US. On March 6, 1930, Birds Eye frozen foods were put on sale at Davidson’s Market in Springfield, Massachusetts, the first of their kind.
Freezer burn or color changes in your frozen food is totally normal. It's simply the result of air hitting frozen food and allowing the ice to sublimate. Sublimation is the process of snow and ice changing into water vapor in the air without first melting into water. Other color changes can be the result of long freezing times or poor packaging.
Birdseye developed his technique after seeing food freezing in the Arctic. He noted that frozen fish tasted much better when it had been frozen immediately after being caught, versus food that was frozen on a delay.
In 1989, Conagra Foods introduced its Healthy Choice line after its chairman, Charles Harper, suffered a heart attack due to his bad eating habits.
When fish is frozen, it keeps its proteins unchanged. But the omega-3 decreases, especially when it comes to salmon and blue fish. Fresh meat is always better because it has the highest nutrient count. But if you blast freeze meat, meaning freezing it as quickly as possible, and then thaw it properly, the flavor and quality won't change much.
Birdseye also helped develop in-store freezer cases and refrigerated boxcars, which allowed frozen foods to travel near and far.
Freezing food doesn't remove any nutrients, so freeze away!
Most things are easily frozen, but you should avoid canned foods, fizzy drinks, coffee, and eggs. As for the rest? Feel free to freeze away!
These original packages weren't meant for freezing. For example, meat packaging is often permeable to air, which can invite bacteria inside, and cause freezer burn. It's best to transfer everything in freezer-safe bags, making sure to let out as much air as possible.
The sell-by date isn't an indicator of food safety, but instead it lets the retailer know how long to display the product. So if you freeze food after the sell-by date, it's still safe to freeze and eat later.
Sodium is found in food naturally, but it's also used as a preservative. But because freezing itself is a preservative, added sodium isn't always needed to extend the shelf life of frozen foods. In fact, frozen fruits and vegetables often have no added sodium.
Freezing food doesn't kill bacteria, rather it inactivates any microbes, bacteria, yeasts, and molds present in food. Once you thaw frozen food, that same bacteria your food went into the freezer with will become active again.
This is partially true, because frozen food that has been left out at room temperature for more than two hours shouldn't be refrozen. However, it's perfectly safe to refreeze raw or cooked food that has been thawed in the refrigerator.
Frozen foods stored continuously at 0°F (-17°C) or below can be kept indefinitely. Just keep in mind that the texture and flavor can begin to deteriorate with time.
The truth is that frozen food is often lower in cost-per-serving than refrigerated or fresh foods. Plus, with the longer shelf life, you'll be reducing food waste and saving money in the long run.
The first complete frozen meal was airplane food. In 1945, Maxson Food Systems, Inc. started making their Strato-Plates, which were meals created specifically for consumption on military and civilian airplanes.
Another great thing with frozen foods is that there's no wastage. You can use everything in the bag, and anything you don't use can be put back into the freezer.
To make sure your frozen foods don't deteriorate quickly, the cold chain must not be interrupted. Also, you have to be careful with products that have a damp or frosted surface, as they may have undergone thermal changes.
Frozen foods don't need any added preservatives to keep them safe and consumable, because microbes can't grow on food that's at a temperature of less than 0°F (-17°C).
There’s long been a debate over which company first introduced the frozen pizza to grocery stores. But the more likely candidates are the Celentano brothers, who in the '50s owned their own Italian specialty store in New Jersey. They're believed to have marketed the first frozen pizza in 1957.
While it's still edible, taste and quality may diminish over time. Some items that stay tasty even after long freezes include uncooked poultry and meat.
Always follow the instructions on the package for safe handling, storage, and cooking methods.
See also: Foods that shouldn’t be kept for too long in your pantry
Ever wonder where the name of Birds Eye Frozen Foods come from? Well, it's straight from the company’s founder, Clarence Birdseye, who gave the world the concept of flash freezing.
Carl Paul Gottfried Linde was an engineer, scientist, and professor at the Technical University of Munich, who helped pioneer industrial cooling in the 19th century. Known as the Hampson-Linde cycle, Linde used his findings to plan an ice and refrigeration machine.
Though this was once the norm for frozen food, today's freezer aisles are packed with healthier options made with fewer ingredients.
Maxson closed up before their frozen meals could be sold on the ground, but other companies picked up the slack. In the 1950s, Swanson, which is hailed as the true creator of TV dinners, coined the term and became the most well-known maker of compartmentalized meals.
Freezing food has been a storage technique in cold weather climates for centuries. However, it's believed it was first applied to industrial food sales in the 1800s, when a Russian company shipped frozen duck and geese to London.
Linde’s wish to build such machines only became a reality in 1892, when the Guinness Brewery requested him to create a carbon dioxide liquefaction plant. This pushed him further into the area of low temperature refrigeration and the liquefaction of air.
Among the most used products in the world, frozen foods are easy to take for granted. With all those choices, from veggies to berries and fish, they're simply practical and tasty. Plus, they allow you to always have a food supply at home. However, frozen foods have a complicated backstory, a long period of scientific evolution, and tons of misconceptions about their negative effects and quality.
So to uncover the truth, here’s everything you need to know about frozen food. Simply click on.
Fascinating facts about frozen food
Some of these frozen food facts will surprise you
FOOD Curiosities
Among the most used products in the world, frozen foods are easy to take for granted. With all those choices, from veggies to berries and fish, they're simply practical and tasty. Plus, they allow you to always have a food supply at home. However, frozen foods have a complicated backstory, a long period of scientific evolution, and tons of misconceptions about their negative effects and quality.
So to uncover the truth, here’s everything you need to know about frozen food. Simply click on.