Death is a big business.
Embalming is only necessary when a public viewing of the body is desired. Otherwise, refrigeration meets ALL state requirements regarding the keeping of a body prior to burial. The Federal Trade Commission is empowered with enforcement of laws that many times, are unknown to the masses. A box of ashes is even easier to abuse than a body, as recent headlines indicate. Pre-arranged funerals can greatly reduce the cost of your emotions when the time finally comes to handle the death of a friend or loved one.