TV dinner

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A German TV dinner (currywurst with French fries) Ready to eat microwave food (TV dinner) Currywurst with French fries.JPG
A German TV dinner (currywurst with French fries)

A TV dinner (also called prepackaged meal, ready-made meal, [1] ready meal, frozen dinner, frozen meal and microwave meal) is a packaged frozen meal that comes portioned for an individual. A TV dinner in the United States and Canada usually consists of a type of meat for the main course, and sometimes vegetables, potatoes, and/or a dessert. The main dish can also be pasta or fish. In European TV dinners, Indian and Chinese meals are common.[ citation needed ]

Contents

The term TV dinner was first used as part of a brand of packaged meals developed in 1953 by the company C.A. Swanson & Sons (the name in full was TV Brand Frozen Dinner). The original TV Dinner came in an aluminum tray and was heated in an oven. In the US and Canada, the term is synonymous with any packaged meal or dish ("dinner") purchased frozen in a supermarket and heated at home. [2]

Now,[ when? ] most frozen food trays are made of a microwaveable and disposable material, usually plastic or coated cardboard.

History

A Swanson "Hungry-Man Country Fried Chicken" TV dinner 2020-02-27 00 31 49 A Hungry-Man Country Fried Chicken TV dinner before being heated in the Franklin Farm section of Oak Hill, Fairfax County, Virginia.jpg
A Swanson "Hungry-Man Country Fried Chicken" TV dinner

Several smaller companies had conceived of frozen dinners earlier (see Invention section below), but the first to achieve success was Swanson. The first Swanson-brand TV Dinner was produced in the United States and consisted of a Thanksgiving meal of turkey, cornbread dressing, frozen peas and sweet potatoes [3] packaged in a tray like those used at the time for airline food service. Each item was placed in its own compartment. The trays proved to be useful: the entire dinner could be removed from the outer packaging as a unit, the tray with its aluminum foil covering could be heated directly in the oven without any extra dishes, and one could eat the meal directly from the tray. The product was cooked for 25 minutes at 425 °F (218 °C) and fit onto a TV tray table. The original TV Dinner sold for 98 cents, and had a production estimate of 5,000 dinners for the first year.[ citation needed ]

The name "TV dinner" was coined by Gerry Thomas, its inventor. At the time it was introduced, televisions were status symbols and a growing medium. Thomas thought the name "TV Dinner" sounded like the product was made for convenience (which it was), and the Swanson executives agreed. [4]

Much has changed since the first TV Dinners were marketed. For instance, a wider variety of main courses – such as fried chicken, spaghetti, Salisbury steak and Mexican combinations – have been introduced. Competitors such as Banquet and Morton began offering prepackaged frozen dinners at a lower price than Swanson.[ citation needed ] Other changes include:

Modern-day frozen dinners tend to come in microwave-safe containers. Product lines also tend to offer a larger variety of dinner types. These dinners, also known as microwave meals, can be purchased at most supermarkets. They are stored frozen. To prepare them, the plastic cover is removed or vented, and the meal is heated in a microwave oven for a few minutes. They are convenient since they essentially require no preparation time other than the heating, although some frozen dinners may require the preparer to briefly carry out an intermediate step (such as stirring mashed potatoes midway through the heating cycle) to ensure adequate heating and uniform consistency of component items.[ citation needed ]

A British Spaghetti carbonara ready meal after being microwaved Spaghetti carbonara ready meal.JPG
A British Spaghetti carbonara ready meal after being microwaved

In the United Kingdom, prepared frozen meals first became widely available in the late 1970s. Since then they have steadily grown in popularity with the increased ownership of home freezers and microwave ovens. Demographic trends such as the growth of smaller households have also influenced the sale of this and other types of convenience food. [6] In 2003, the United Kingdom spent £5 million a day on ready meals, and was the largest consumer in Europe. [7]

Unfrozen pre-cooked ready meals, which are merely chilled and require less time to reheat, are also popular and are sold by most supermarkets. Chilled ready meals are intended for immediate reheating and consumption. Although most can be frozen by the consumer after purchase, they can either be heated from frozen or may have to be fully defrosted before reheating.[ citation needed ]

Many different varieties of frozen and chilled ready meals are now generally available in the UK, including "gourmet" recipes, organic and vegetarian dishes, traditional British and foreign cuisine, and smaller children's meals.[ citation needed ]

Invention

The identity of the TV Dinner's inventor has been disputed. In one account, first publicized in 1996, [8] retired Swanson executive Gerry Thomas said he conceived the idea after the company found itself with a huge surplus of frozen turkeys because of poor Thanksgiving sales. Thomas' version of events has been challenged by the Los Angeles Times, [9] members of the Swanson family [10] and former Swanson employees. [11] They credit the Swanson brothers with the invention.

Betty Cronin, a bacteriologist employed at C. A. Swanson and Sons has also been credited with important contributions to the invention. [12] She was involved in the technical design of dinner items that could be frozen then re-heated successfully.

Swanson's concept was not original. In 1944, William L. Maxson's frozen dinners were being served on airplanes. [13] Other prepackaged meals were also marketed before Swanson's TV Dinner.[ citation needed ] In 1948, plain frozen fruits and vegetables were joined by what were then called 'dinner plates' with a main course, potato, and vegetable. In 1952 the first frozen dinners on oven-ready aluminum trays were introduced by Quaker States Foods under the One-Eye Eskimo label. Quaker States Foods was joined by other companies including Frigi-Dinner, which offered such fare as beef stew with corn and peas, veal goulash with peas and potatoes, and chicken chow mein with egg rolls and fried rice. Swanson, a large producer of canned and frozen poultry in Omaha, Nebraska, was able to promote the widespread sales and adaptation of frozen dinner by using its nationally recognized brand name with an extensive national marketing campaign nicknamed "Operation Smash" and the clever advertising name of "TV Dinner," which tapped into the public's excitement around the new device. [14]

Manufacturing

The production process of TV dinners is highly automated and undergoes three major steps. Those steps are food preparation, tray loading, and freezing. During food preparation, vegetables and fruits are usually placed on a movable belt and washed, then are placed into a container to be steamed or boiled for 1–3 minutes. This process is referred to as blanching, and is used as a method to destroy enzymes in the food that can cause chemical changes negatively affecting overall flavor and color of the fruit and vegetables. As for meats, prior to cooking, they are trimmed of fat and cut into proper sizes. The fish is usually cleaned and cut into fillets, and poultry is usually washed thoroughly and dressed. Meats are then seasoned, placed on trays, and are cooked in an oven for a predetermined amount of time. After all the food is ready to be packaged, it is sent to the filling lines. The food is placed in its compartments as the trays pass under numerous filling machines; to ensure that every packaged dinner gets an equal amount of food, the filling devices are strictly regulated. [15]

The food undergoes a process of cryogenic freezing with liquid nitrogen. After the food is placed on the conveyor belt, it is sprayed with liquid nitrogen that boils on contact with the freezing food. This method of flash-freezing fresh foods is used to retain natural quality of the food. When the food is chilled through cryogenic freezing, small ice crystals are formed throughout the food that, in theory, can preserve the food indefinitely if stored safely. Cryogenic freezing is widely used as it is a method for rapid freezing, requires almost no dehydration, excludes oxygen thus decreasing oxidative spoilage, and causes less damage to individual freezing pieces. Due to the fact that the cost of operating cryogenic freezing is high, it is commonly used for high value food products such as TV dinners, which is a $4.5 billion industry a year that is continuing to grow with the constant introduction of new technology. [15]

Following this, the dinners are either covered with aluminum foil or paper, and the product is tightly packed with a partial vacuum created to ensure no evaporation takes place that can cause the food to dry out. Then the packaged dinners are placed in a refrigerated storage facility, transported by refrigerated truck, and stored in the grocer's freezer. TV dinners prepared with the aforementioned steps—that is, frozen and packaged properly—can remain in near-perfect condition for a long time, so long as they are stored at -18 °C during shipping and storage. [15]

Health concerns

The freezing process tends to degrade the taste of food and the meals are thus heavily processed with extra salt and fat to compensate. [16] In addition, stabilizing the product for a long period typically means that companies will use partially hydrogenated vegetable oils for some items (typically dessert). Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils are high in trans fats and are shown to adversely affect cardiovascular health. [17] The dinners are almost always significantly less nutritious [ citation needed ] than fresh food and are formulated to remain edible after long periods of storage, thus often requiring preservatives such as butylated hydroxytoluene. There is, however, some variability between brands. [18]

In recent years[ when? ] there has been a push by a number of independent manufacturers and retailers to make meals that are low in salt and fat and free of artificial additives. In the UK, most British supermarkets also produce their own "healthy eating" brands.[ citation needed ] Nearly all chilled or frozen ready meals sold in the UK are now clearly labeled with the salt, sugar and fat content and the recommended daily intake. Concern about obesity and government publicity initiatives such as those by the Food Standards Agency [19] [ better source needed ] and the National Health Service [20] [ better source needed ] have encouraged manufacturers to reduce the levels of salt and fat in ready prepared food.

See also

Related Research Articles

Microwave oven Kitchen cooking appliance

A microwave oven is an electric oven that heats and cooks food by exposing it to electromagnetic radiation in the microwave frequency range. This induces polar molecules in the food to rotate and produce thermal energy in a process known as dielectric heating. Microwave ovens heat foods quickly and efficiently because excitation is fairly uniform in the outer 25–38 mm(1–1.5 inches) of a homogeneous, high water content food item.

Tray

A tray is a shallow platform designed for the carrying of items. It can be fashioned from numerous materials, including silver, brass, sheet iron, paperboard, wood, melamine, and molded pulp. Trays range in cost from inexpensive molded pulp trays which are disposable and inexpensive melamine trays used in cafeterias, to mid-priced wooden trays used in a home, to expensive silver trays used in luxury hotels. Some examples have raised galleries, handles, and short feet for support.

Kraft Dinner boxed product of macaroni and cheese

The product known as Kraft Dinner (KD) in Canada, Kraft Macaroni and Cheese in the United States and Australia, and Cheesey Pasta in the United Kingdom is a nonperishable, packaged dry macaroni product by Kraft Foods Group, traditionally cardboard-boxed with dried macaroni pasta and a packet of processed cheese powder. It was first introduced under the Kraft Dinner name simultaneously in both Canada and the U.S. in 1937.

Frozen food Food stored at temperatures below the freezing point of water, for extending its shelf life

Freezing food preserves it from the time it is prepared to the time it is eaten. Since early times, farmers, fishermen, and trappers have preserved grains and produce in unheated buildings during the winter season. Freezing food slows down decomposition by turning residual moisture into ice, inhibiting the growth of most bacterial species. In the food commodity industry, there are two processes: mechanical and cryogenic. The freezing kinetics is important to preserve the food quality and texture. Quicker freezing generates smaller ice crystals and maintains cellular structure. Cryogenic freezing is the quickest freezing technology available due to the ultra low liquid nitrogen temperature −196 °C (−320 °F).

Macaroni and cheese Pasta dish

Macaroni and cheese—also called mac 'n' cheese in the United States, and macaroni cheese in the United Kingdom—is a dish of cooked macaroni pasta and a cheese sauce, most commonly cheddar. It can also incorporate other ingredients, such as breadcrumbs or meat.

Food processing Transformation of raw ingredients into food, or of food into other forms

Food processing is the transformation of agricultural products into food, or of one form of food into other forms. Food processing includes many forms of processing foods, from grinding grain to make raw flour to home cooking to complex industrial methods used to make convenience foods. Some food processing methods play important roles in reducing food waste and improving food preservation, thus reducing the total environmental impact of agriculture and improving food security.

Lunchables

Lunchables is a brand of food and snacks manufactured by Kraft Heinz in Chicago, Illinois and marketed under the Oscar Mayer brand. They were initially introduced in Seattle in 1988 before being released nationally in 1989. Many Lunchables products are produced in a Garland, Texas facility, and are then distributed across the United States.

Veggie burger Hamburger-like patty made from non-meat protein

A veggie burger is a burger patty that does not contain meat. These burgers may be made from ingredients like beans, especially soybeans and tofu, nuts, grains, seeds or fungi such as mushrooms or mycoprotein.

Freeze-drying Low temperature dehydration process

Freeze drying, also known as lyophilisation or cryodesiccation, is a low temperature dehydration process that involves freezing the product, lowering pressure, then removing the ice by sublimation. This is in contrast to dehydration by most conventional methods that evaporate water using heat.

Swanson

Swanson is a brand of TV dinners, broths, and canned poultry made for the North American and Hong Kong markets. It was founded in Omaha, Nebraska, where it invented the frozen dinner. The TV dinner business is currently owned by Pinnacle Foods, while the broth business is currently owned by the Campbell Soup Company. Current TV dinner products sold under the brand include Swanson's Classics TV dinners and pot pies, and the current broth lineup includes chicken broth and beef broth.

Birds Eye American international brand of frozen foods

Birds Eye is an American international brand of frozen foods owned by Conagra Brands in the United States, by Nomad Foods in Europe, and Simplot Australia in Australia.

Gerry Thomas was a Canadian who moved to the US to become a salesman. He is sometimes credited with inventing the TV Dinner in 1952. Thomas, who worked for the Swanson food company in America in the 1950s and went public with his account decades later, said he designed the company's famous three-compartment aluminum tray after seeing a similar tray used by Pan Am Airways. He also said he coined the name "TV Dinner," brainstormed the idea of having the packaging resemble a TV set, and contributed the recipe for the cornbread stuffing. Thomas later said he was uncomfortable with being called the "father" of the TV dinner, because he felt he just built upon existing ideas.

Banquet Foods

Banquet Foods is a subsidiary of Conagra Brands that sells various food products, including frozen pre-made entrées, meals, and desserts. The brand is best known for its line of TV dinners.

Ice pack

An ice pack or gel pack is a portable plastic bag filled with water, refrigerant gel, or liquid. To be prepared for use, the pack is first placed in a freezer. Both ice and other non-toxic refrigerants can absorb a considerable amount of heat before they warm above 0 °C (32 °F) used to keep food cool in portable coolers, or as a cold compress to alleviate the pain of minor injuries, or in insulated shipping containers to keep products cool during transport.

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Lean Cuisine

Lean Cuisine is a brand of frozen entrées and dinners sold in the United States and Canada by Nestlé, and in Australia by Vesco. The brand began as low-fat, low-calorie versions of Stouffer's products. Today, Lean Cuisine includes traditional dinners, ethnic dishes, pizzas, whole-grain Spa Cuisine entreés, and panini. The headquarters of Lean Cuisine in the United States is located in Solon, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland.

In 1990, Tyson Foods launched a line of Tyson Looney Tunes Meals. They were based on cartoon characters licensed from Warner Brothers and marketed aggressively toward children. The meals were taken off the market in late 1993, because of declining sales due to the Early 1990s recession.

Instant breakfast typically refers to breakfast food products that are manufactured in a powdered form, which are generally prepared with the addition of milk and then consumed as a drink. Some instant breakfasts are produced and marketed in liquid form, being pre-mixed. The target market for instant breakfast products includes consumers who tend to be busy, such as students and working adults.

References

  1. ↑ "Could a top chef stomach ready-made meals?". the Guardian. 12 June 2005.
  2. ↑ "TV dinner". Merriam-Webster.
  3. ↑ Swanson TV Dinner FAQ Archived September 8, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  4. ↑ miscellus2 (25 April 2010). "Invention and view of the original TV dinner" – via YouTube.
  5. ↑ "US Patent for Dual ovenable frozen food tray/cookware formed from a lainate containing a polymer that is crystallizable at use temperature Patent (Patent # 4,737,389 issued April 12, 1988) - Justia Patents Search". patents.justia.com.
  6. ↑ "Frozen Ready Meals - UK - March 2006". Mintel International Group Ltd. March 2006. Archived from the original on 2007-10-22. Retrieved 2007-04-28.
  7. ↑ "UK meals 'ready' for growth". William Reed Business Media SAS. 2003-11-21. Retrieved 2006-12-31.
  8. ↑ McMorris, Robert (1996-05-10). "Gobbler Glut Spurs Dinners" . Omaha World-Herald .
  9. ↑ Rivenburg, Roy (2005-07-31). "False tales of turkey on a tray". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 2014-05-06.
  10. ↑ Rivenburg, Roy (2003-11-23). "A landmark idea, yes, but whose?". Los Angeles Times . p. E1. Retrieved 2014-05-06.
  11. ↑ "Who "invented" the TV dinner?". Library of Congress . Retrieved 2014-10-09.
  12. ↑ Bartlett, Kay (26 June 1994). "The Year The TV Dinner Knocked America Cold". Seattle Times. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
  13. ↑ Ross, Harold; Maloney, Russell (1945-08-04). "Defrosted Dinners" . The New Yorker . p. 11. Retrieved 2014-05-06.
  14. ↑ Shapiro, Laura (2004), Something from the Oven: Reinventing Dinner in 1950s America, New York: Penguin Books, ISBN   014303491X, OCLC   52471805
  15. 1 2 3 "How tv dinner is made - manufacture, making, history, used, processing, components, structure, product, History, Design". www.madehow.com.
  16. ↑ Lampert, Phil (2007-04-04). "6 things you need to know about frozen dinners: Tips for shopping wisely for the best — and healthiest — convenient meals". NBC Today Show . Archived from the original on 2012-09-22. Retrieved 2010-02-15.
  17. ↑ Willett, W.C. & Ascherio, A. (May 1994). "Trans Fatty Acids: Are the Effects Only Marginal?". American Journal of Public Health . 84 (5): 722–724. doi:10.2105/ajph.84.5.722. PMC   1615057 . PMID   8179036.
  18. ↑ "Choose your ready-meal carefully". BBC . 2004-05-28. Retrieved 2014-05-06.
  19. ↑ "Food Standards Agency – Eat well, be well – Healthy diet". Eatwell.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 2010-01-18. Retrieved 2009-01-28.
  20. ↑ "How to understand food labels". NHS.uk. 2008-09-12. Retrieved 2009-01-28.
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