About Clarence Birdseye
Clarence Birdseye (December 9, 1886 – October 7, 1956) was an American inventor, entrepreneur, and naturalist, who is widely considered the founder of the modern frozen food industry. He developed methods for quick-freezing food products that led to the commercial success of frozen foods in the United States. He founded several companies that later became associated with the '''Birds Eye''' brand. Born in New York City, Birdseye developed an early interest in natural science and taxidermy. After studying at Amherst College, he worked for the United States Department of Agriculture as a field naturalist and conducted wildlife surveys in the American West and Labrador. While in Labrador between 1912 and 1915, he observed Inuit methods of rapidly freezing freshly caught fish in Arctic conditions, leading him to study how rapid freezing preserved food texture and flavor better than conventional slow freezing. In the 1920s, Birdseye began experimenting with commercial food preservation and developed several freezing technologies, including the double belt freezer and multiplate freezing machine. In 1924 he founded General Seafood Corporation, which marketed frozen fish products using his quick-freezing methods. In 1929, the company and its patents were acquired by Goldman Sachs and the Postum Cereal Company, later General Foods, for $22 million. In 1949, Birdseye won the Institute of Food Technologists' Babcock-Hart Award. and in 2005 Birdseye was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. He founded the frozen food company Birds Eye. One of nine children, Birdseye grew up in New York City before heading to Amherst College and began his scientific career with the U.S. government. A biography of his life was published by Doubleday over a half ce.
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