Today, March 6, 2014, is National Frozen Food Day. Since early times, farmers, fishermen, and trappers have preserved their game and produce in unheated buildings during the winter season. Freezing food preserves it from the time it is prepared to the time it is eaten. It slows down decomposition by turning residual moisture into ice, inhibiting the growth of most bacterial species. Beginning in 1929, Clarence Birdseye offered his quick-frozen foods to the public. He got the idea during fur-trapping expeditions to Labrador in 1912 and 1916, where he saw the natives use freezing to preserve foods. Modern attempts at refrigeration began in the early 20th century in the meat packing industry. More advanced attempts included food frozen for Eleanor Roosevelt on her trip to Russia. Other experiments, involving orange juice, ice cream and vegetables were conducted by the military near the end of World War II.
