Famous inventors
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"Clarence Birdseye." Technology, Famous inventors, Q-files Encyclopedia, 16 Mar. 2026.
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Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.
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Clarence Birdseye
Clarence Birdseye (1886–1956) was an American inventor and businessman. He invented the "flash-freezing" method by which foodstuffs were frozen quickly, ensuring they remained fresh to eat after they had thawed out. Birdseye began his career as a naturalist. Working in Labrador, Canada in 1912–15, he learnt from the native Inuits that, in temperatures of –40°C, any fish that they caught froze almost instantly—and, when later thawed, they tasted fresh. This gave him the idea for his invention.
Fast freezing
Food freezing in the early 20th century was usually done at higher temperatures, so the freezing occurred more slowly and the food did not taste fresh on thawing. Fast freezing, it was later discovered, produces smaller ice crystals which cause less damage to living tissue. In 1925, Birdseye's company, the General Seafood Corporation, started using Birdseye's invention, the double belt freezer, in which packaged fish was frozen quickly using brine (salty water) while compressed between two refrigerated surfaces. The process was quickly extended beyond fish to the rapid freezing of meat, poultry, fruit and vegetables.
Consultant: Dave Hawksett
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