NEW YORK – With sales of frozen foods on the decline, frozen food makers are finalizing plans for a major public relations push to defend the nutritional reputation of their products, the Associated Press reports.

The campaign will include what are believed to be the first national television ads on behalf of the frozen foods industry as a whole, along with social media integration and in-store promotions.

Kraig Naasz, president of the American Frozen Food Institute, confirmed he "multiyear, multimillion dollar" campaign that will begin early next month to educate people that the freezing process locks in the nutrients of fresh food.

The campaign comes as Americans are increasingly turning to foods that they feel are fresh. The general perception of many frozen foods is that they are processed and full of preservatives or sodium.

Between 2009 and 2013, sales of frozen meals were down 3% to $8.92 billion, according to Euromonitor International, which projects a decline of another 2% this year.

Behind the scenes, frozen food makers are also meeting with dietitians to communicate the benefits of their products with the hope that the health professionals will then pass along the message to their clients.