National Frozen Food Day Date in the current year: March 6, 2024

Freezing is a common method of food preservation. Low temperatures slow food decay and inhibit the growth of microorganisms, preserving food from the time it is prepared to the time it is eaten. Since early times, tribes in cold climate have been using natural food freezing to preserve meat, fish and grains. Commercial food freezing began to develop in the second half of the 19th century.

The person credited with inventing commercial food freezing as we know it is American inventor and entrepreneur Clarence Birsdeye. He began his career working as a taxidermist and became interested in food preservation by freezing during expeditions. Birdseye began freezing experiments in the early 1920s and eventually developed a process for commercially viable quick-freezing. Since 1930, his brand, owned by General Foods Corporation, has been selling frozen products in the United States and abroad.

National Frozen Food Day has been observed since 1984 to celebrate Birdseye’s contribution to the food industry.