Clarence Birdseye
                     Clarence 
Birdseye
Introduction
For people who thank the heavens every day for the 
convenience that is frozen foods, you may also want to 
thank the man behind the invention. His name is Clarence 
Frank Birdseye II and he happens to be the founder of the 
modern frozen food industry.
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Source: www.famousscientists.org
Who is Clarence 
Birdseye?
Clarence Birdseye was an American inventor, naturalist, 
and entrepreneur. 
He made one of the biggest innovations and contributions 
to the food industry when he found a way to flash-freeze 
food. 
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Source: www.famousscientists.org
Early Years
Clarence Birdseye was born on December 9, 1886 in 
Brooklyn, New York. His parents were Ada Jane Underwood 
and Clarence Frank Birdseye I. He was the sixth of nine 
children. 
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Education
He attended Montclair High School in New Jersey and was 
briefly a student at Amherst College but dropped out after 
two years. 
It wasn’t because he was unable to cope with his studies 
but he and his family did not have the funds for college. He 
moved out West to work for the United States Agriculture 
Department.
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Source: www.famousscientists.org
Early Career
He began his career working as a taxidermist. He then 
obtained a position in Arizona and New Mexico as an 
assistant naturalist. This job required him to kill coyotes. 
He also worked with entomologist Willard Von Orsdel King 
in 1910 and 1911. 
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Flash-freezing Method
Back in the early nineteenth century, the freezing method 
used was commonly performed at higher temperatures 
than the -40oC Birdseye had witnessed in Labrador. 
This caused freezing at a slower rate which meant that ice 
crystals were given time to grow in the food. 
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Source: www.famousscientists.org
Established his own 
company
In 1922, Birdseye began a series of fish-freezing studies at 
the Clothel Refrigerating Company. He established his own 
company soon after and called it Birdseye Seafoods 
Incorporated.
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Source: www.famousscientists.org
Invention
In 1925, his new company moved to Gloucester in 
Massachusetts where he made use of another new 
invention. He called it the double belt freezer. Cold brine 
was used to chill two stainless steel belts that carried 
packaged fish which froze very quickly.
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Source: www.famousscientists.org
Death
Birdseye died on 7 October 1956 at the Gramercy Park 
Hotel aged 69. His cause of death was a heart attack. He 
was cremated and his ashes were scattered at sea just off 
the area in Gloucester in Massachusetts.
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Source: www.famousscientists.org
THANK YOU
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