Prevention of Waste and Seasonal Price Fluctuations Through Refrigeration

Abstract

Cold storage was originally and primarily used for the purpose of preventing the waste of foods. The Indians of the northern part of what is now the United States, and of Canada, packed fresh meat in snow to avoid thawing. They were found doing this when the white race first came and the whites adopted the practice. In the course of time the whites had their ice houses, which provided cold storage facilities for milk and butter, fresh meat, berries and other foods for very short periods of time. The main object was to prevent waste. The extension of ice cooling to refrigeration in commercial use followed and also the packing of dressed poultry, fresh oysters and other perishable foods in ice for shipment. As foods were placed in some sort of temporary cold storage to prevent waste, it was incidentally observed that their utility was extended in time. The importance of this to men engaged in handling food commercially was very great. With regard to the early commercialization of cold storage, the testimony of Mr. F. G. Urner of the Urner-Barry Company, publishers of the New York Produce Review and of the New York Producers' Price Current, is quoted: