born Dec. 9, 1886, New York, N.Y., U.S.
died Oct. 7, 1956, New York
U.S. businessman and inventor.
He developed a highly efficient process for freezing foods in small packages suitable for retailing. He achieved rapid freezing by placing packaged food, including fish, fruits, and vegetables, between two refrigerated metal plates. Though his were not the first frozen foods, his process largely preserved the original taste of the food. In 1929 his company was bought by Postum, Inc., which later became General Foods Corp. Birdseye served as a corporate executive until 1938.