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  2. History

    Several smaller companies had conceived of frozen dinners earlier (see Invention section below), but the first to achieve widespread and lasting success was Swanson. The first Swanson-brand TV Dinner was … See more

    Invention

    The identity of the TV Dinner's inventor has been disputed. In one account, first publicized in 1996, retired Swanson executive Gerry Thomas said he conceived the idea after the company found itself with a huge surpl… See more

    Manufacturing

    The production process of frozen meals is highly automated and undergoes three major steps. Those steps are food preparation, tray loading, and freezing. During food preparation, vegetables and fruits are us… See more

    Health concerns

    Frozen meals are often heavily processed with extra salt and fat to make foods last longer. In addition, stabilizing the product for a long period typically means that companies will use partially hydrogenated vegetable oil… See more

     
  1. These Old TV Dinners Will Make You So Nostalgic - Eat This Not …

     
  2. These 40 vintage TV dinners look even …

    Feb 8, 2023 · Learn about the origins, evolution and popularity of TV dinners, the frozen meals that became a post-war phenomenon. See vintage ads, photos and recipes from …

  3. A Brief History of the TV Dinner | Smithsonian

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