food on your plate

The Frozen Food Industry Today

The Frozen Food Industry is a good example of a secondary industry. Businesses are involved in processing raw materials (foodstuffs) which is then passed on for sale to the wholesaler or customer.

It is a substantial industry, which has grown up over the last 50 years. The concept of commercially freezing food for later consumption was developed by Clarence Birdseye in the USA in the 1920s. Birdseye first started selling frozen food in the UK in 1933.

Ready meals became available in the 1950s and frozen food use became widespread in homes, as well as in the catering industry (such as in hospitals and restaurants). The size of the frozen food market worldwide is now valued at Ł51 billion, with the UK accounting for consumer sales of Ł4.6 billion and increasing by over 5% a year.

Types of frozen food that have become increasingly popular over the past few years include:

Ready meals – sales growing at about 50%
Vegetarian foods – growing at a rate of
about 90%
Pizzas – growing at a rate of about 90%
Potato products - growing at a rate of
about 58%
Desserts – growing at a rate of about 50%
Fish – growing at a rate of about 12%

Other popular types of frozen food include meat & poultry, ice cream, particularly luxury and novelty bars, and vegetables.

What are some of the advantages of having readily available frozen foods? Why do you think that this industry is experiencing such rapid growth?

(source for figures: British Frozen Food Federation)

Growth in total U.K sales of frozen food over the past 20 years
Year	Ł billions
1970	1
1984	1.25
1987	2.3
1997	4.6

Follow the process of corn in from field to table

Find out how refrigeration has changed the way food gets to your plate in today.

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