National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association

What National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association does

The National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA) is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit trade association founded in 1945 and headquartered in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It represents 450+ member companies and 470 organizational members across the full US frozen and refrigerated foods value chain — including manufacturers, retailers, wholesalers, distributors, logistics providers, sales agents, and ingredient/equipment suppliers — with members in all 50 states. Its functional role is to convene, advocate for, and provide shared services to the US frozen and refrigerated foods industry.

NFRA's core offerings fall into three buckets: (1) national consumer category campaigns and PR programs (March Frozen Food Month, National Frozen Food Day on June 14, ReDiscover Dairy & Frozen, Dairy Month) that deliver an aggregate 2.7+ billion consumer impressions annually for member brands; (2) member services including an Easy Home Meals consumer-facing platform, the Easy Home Meals consumer website/app, syndicated retail data dashboards via partnerships with Circana (formerly IRI) and NIQ/Byzzer, a Hall of Fame, the Penguin Pitch Emerging Brand Contest, the First Penguin Leadership Program, the Chill & Chat podcast, and an annual awards program; and (3) industry convening via conferences, committees, and events that produce 7,500+ business meetings per year across 3,400+ direct connections.

NFRA is funded through tiered membership dues, PR campaign sponsorships (retailer-level sponsorship tiers range from approximately $1,000 to $5,000, with manufacturer-level tiers materially higher), event registration, and event sponsorship. The organization operates with a lean team of approximately 10 staff. Governance rotates through industry chairs (e.g., 2024 chair Susan Varni of Fairlife; 2025 chair AJ Rauf of Nestlé USA), and named member logos span Kraft Heinz, Tyson, Nestlé, Conagra, Kroger, Walmart, Target, UNFI, Lineage Logistics, Chobani, and Danone.

Name

National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association

Legal name

National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association

Website

https://nfraweb.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA) is a Harrisburg, PA-based 501(c)(6) trade association, founded 1945, representing 450+ US frozen and refrigerated foods companies across manufacturing, retail, distribution, and logistics through category PR campaigns, industry events, member data dashboards, and leadership programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Harrisburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues calculated based on company type and annual sales volume, commission, or number of locations. Manufacturers pay based on frozen/refrigerated retail sales; retailers based on store sales; sales agents on commissions; logistics providers on U.S. locations.
2. PR Campaign Sponsorships: Year-round PR campaign sponsorship opportunities for frozen and refrigerated brands, with sponsorship tiers and incremental investments for brand visibility across Easy Home Meals platforms, influencer partnerships, and media outreach
3. Event Registration & Sponsorship: Revenue from NFRA Convention and Executive Conference registrations, booth/sponsorship fees, and advertising in convention materials

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

NFRA is a nonprofit trade association that delivers membership services, national PR campaigns, annual consumer promotions, market data research, professional development, and signature industry events for the frozen and refrigerated foods sector. Its consumer-facing Easy Home Meals platform drives 2.7+ billion annual impressions promoting frozen and refrigerated foods to shoppers, while member services connect 450+ manufacturers, retailers, wholesalers, distributors, and logistics providers through conventions, committees, and research tools.

Product overview

NFRA is a trade association (not a technology company) that offers a portfolio of consumer engagement platforms, industry promotions, professional development programs, awards, and annual events. Key consumer-facing platforms include Easy Home Meals (a digital content and recipe platform) and two national PR campaigns: Real Food. Frozen. and Dairy...and Beyond. The association runs four annual promotions: March Frozen Food Month, June Dairy Month, Summer Favorites Ice Cream & Novelties, and ReDiscover Dairy and Frozen. Professional offerings include awards programs (Golden Penguin Awards, Penguin Pitch Awards, First Penguin Leadership Program, Hall of Fame), a podcast (Chill & Chat with NFRA), a member portal, and two signature annual events (NFRA Convention and Executive Conference).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Easy Home Meals: NFRA's consumer-facing brand delivering craveable content, simple recipes, and trusted meal inspiration across digital and social platforms. It connects with millions of shoppers each year—highlighting the value, convenience, and versatility of frozen and refrigerated foods in everyday life.

Products and services

• Easy Home Meals NFRA's consumer-facing digital platform delivering recipes, meal inspiration, and content across social media, email newsletters, and EasyHomeMeals.com to promote frozen and refrigerated foods to shoppers. Drives 2.7+ billion annual consumer impressions.
• Real Food. Frozen. National PR campaign spotlighting quality, innovation, and variety in the frozen food aisle, highlighting real ingredients, global flavors, and convenience for busy lifestyles. Sponsored by member brands including Tropicana, Mars Ice Cream, Tyson Foods, Conagra Brands, Kraft Heinz, and Nestle.
• Dairy...and Beyond National PR campaign elevating refrigerated foods by spotlighting versatility, nutritional benefits, and role in daily routines, featuring yogurts, cheeses, dips, drinks, and refrigerated doughs. Sponsored by member brands including Danone, Dairy Farmers of America, and Land O'Lakes.
• March Frozen Food Month Annual national promotion celebrating the convenience, innovation, and variety found in the frozen aisle, supported by sweepstakes, media outreach, and digital resources for members.
• June Dairy Month Annual national promotion spotlighting refrigerated dairy staples and better-for-you choices with educational content and seasonal promotions.
• Summer Favorites Ice Cream and Novelties Annual national promotion elevating ice cream and frozen novelties with craveable content, digital storytelling, and a 'Win Ice Cream for a Year' sweepstakes.
• ReDiscover Dairy and Frozen Annual national promotion kicking off the year by reintroducing consumers to the benefits, ease, and everyday relevance of both frozen and refrigerated categories.
• Golden Penguin Awards National awards program recognizing the best marketing and merchandising efforts in support of March Frozen Food Month, June Dairy Month, and Summer Favorites Ice Cream and Novelties promotions.
• Penguin Pitch Emerging Brand Contest Competition recognizing product innovation from emerging brands in the frozen and refrigerated foods industry, awarding excellence in promotional strategy, packaging, and disruptive products.
• First Penguin Next Generation Leadership Program Leadership development program designed to provide young professionals in the frozen and refrigerated CPG/retail space with networking opportunities, education, and industry exposure.
• Frozen Food Hall of Fame Recognition program established in 1990 that honors industry executives for their dedication and valuable contributions to the frozen food industry, co-hosted with AFFI.
• NFRA Convention Annual industry convention bringing together the entire frozen and refrigerated foods industry for business meetings, product showcasing, and networking, held in October. Features 7,500+ meetings, 1,900 attendees, and 150+ new products.
• NFRA Executive Conference Annual executive conference bringing top frozen and refrigerated food decision-makers together to discuss trends, challenges, and opportunities, with networking receptions and golf tournament. Held in April.
• NFRA Member Portal Exclusive online portal providing members 24/7 digital access to Membership Directory, proprietary research reports, promotional toolkits, POS materials, and event registration through members.membersuite.com.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2.7+ billion annual consumer impressions through PR campaigns and Easy Home Meals platform
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Kellanova (Eggo, MorningStar Farms)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Lead sponsor of the 2026 First Penguin Next Generation Leadership Program, supporting professional development of young industry leaders.
• Coca-Cola CompanyminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Platinum sponsor of the 2026 First Penguin Next Generation Leadership Program.
• Ajinomoto FoodsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Silver sponsor of the 2026 First Penguin Next Generation Leadership Program.
• RedCircleminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Podcast hosting platform for Chill & Chat with NFRA, the industry-first podcast featuring industry leader conversations.
• AdAdaptedcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2023Partnership with AdAdapted digital media platforms to reach consumers through e-commerce integration and mobile engagement, advancing NFRA's embrace of digital commerce.
• EdelmancoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Partnership with Edelman in 2012 to elevate consumer outreach through two groundbreaking campaigns: Real Food. Frozen. and Dairy…and Beyond. This partnership marked the transition to sophisticated multi-channel marketing strategies for NFRA.
• CircanacoreTechnology or IntegrationNFRA Data Dashboard powered by Circana provides members with comprehensive market data including quarterly and weekly sales, five years of historical data, and performance insights across 47 categories and 155 sub-categories.
• NIQ (Byzzer Data Platform)coreTechnology or IntegrationNFRA provides complimentary access to three essential reports through Byzzer, plus potential discounts on expanded data packages for deeper category insights.
• 2026 PR Campaign SponsorscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOver 50 sponsoring brands including Tropicana Brands Group, Mars Ice Cream (Twix, Dove), Tyson Foods, Conagra Brands (Bird's Eye, Healthy Choice), Kraft Heinz (Cool Whip, Ore-Ida), Nestle (DiGiorno, Stouffer's), Danone (Oikos, Silk), General Mills, Dairy Farmers of America, Land O'Lakes, and many others participating in Real Food. Frozen. and Dairy…and Beyond. campaigns.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• National Restaurant Association: The National Restaurant Association is the largest foodservice trade association in the US. It is broader in scope but adjacent to NFRA — both serve overlapping downstream demand for frozen and refrigerated food categories and share some enterprise members.
• American Bakers Association: ABA represents wholesale baking manufacturers, intersecting with NFRA's refrigerated and frozen bakery sub-categories. It is a comparable trade-association model (membership, events, advocacy) focused on an adjacent food vertical.
• United Fresh Produce Association: United Fresh represents the fresh produce supply chain and is adjacent to NFRA's refrigerated category. Its members overlap with NFRA's on the retailer and distributor side, and it runs comparable events and consumer-promotion programs.
• North American Meat Institute: NAMI represents meat processors and packers, several of whom (Tyson) are NFRA manufacturer members. It is a comparable trade-association structure serving an adjacent protein vertical with similar regulatory and consumer-outreach needs.

Direct peers

• FMI – The Food Industry Association: FMI is the trade association for the food retail industry, representing grocers and wholesalers. NFRA and FMI share overlapping retail/wholesaler members (Walmart, Kroger, Target) and run comparable events, research, and advocacy programs.
• National Grocers Association: NGA represents independent and community grocers in the US. It overlaps with NFRA on the retailer/wholesaler side of the membership base and runs a comparable annual show and member research programs.
• Consumer Brands Association: Consumer Brands Association (formerly GMA) is the leading US trade association for CPG manufacturers. Many NFRA manufacturer members (Kraft Heinz, Conagra, General Mills, Tyson) are also CBA members, making it a structural peer in CPG industry advocacy and convening.
• American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI): AFFI is the leading US trade association for the frozen food industry and co-hosts the Frozen Food Hall of Fame with NFRA. It is the most directly comparable peer, serving many of the same manufacturer members with overlapping advocacy, events, and policy work.
• International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA): IDFA represents dairy processors, manufacturers, and marketers in the US — directly overlapping with NFRA's refrigerated/dairy membership base. Both organizations serve enterprise dairy members (e.g., Danone, Chobani) and run consumer-facing promotions.

Emerging players

• American Dairy Products Institute: ADPI is a smaller, more specialized trade association serving dairy-product manufacturers. It is comparable as a niche industry association model adjacent to NFRA's refrigerated dairy remit, though narrower in scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/easyhomemeals
• Facebookfacebook.com/easyhomemeals
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-frozen-and-refrigerated-foods-association-inc.
• Instagraminstagram.com/_easyhomemeals
• TikToktiktok.com/@easyhomemeals
• Pinterestpinterest.com/easyhomemeals
• Xx.com/nfraweb

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association