A coalition of supply chain industry groups is adding new members in their push to cut greenhouse gas emissions in the cold storage supply chain by storing frozen food at a slightly warmer temperature than current regulations demand.
Since its launch at the COP28 global climate conference last year, the “Move to -15°C Coalition” says it has more than doubled its membership.
New additions include Nomad Foods, the European frozen food manufacturer behind brands such as Bird’s Eye, Findus, and Iglo. In February 2024, Nomad Foods released the 12-month results of an ongoing study which reveals that storing frozen food at -15°C, instead of the industry standard -18°C, can reduce freezer energy consumption by 10 -11% without any noticeable impact on product safety, texture, taste or nutritional value.
“Move to -15°C” says the frozen food temperature set point of -18°C was established as an industry standard a century ago, but with little evidence, and logistics technology has improved substantially since. The group says a three-degree change in temperature could make a significant environmental impact with no compromise on food safety.
Other food groups that have joined the movement include:
- Danish food company Danish Crown,
- worldwide transport and logistics provider Blue Water Shipping,
- Europe’s second largest cold logistics operator, Constellation Cold Logistics,
- Indicold, provider of cold storage and logistics solutions in India,
- refrigerated container purchaser and lessor Seacube Container Leasing,
- IoT technology vendor Orbcomm, and
- Seafrigo, which provides a refrigerated network.
“Collaboration is essential to our success, so we are delighted to have attracted so many notable new members to our Coalition. Not only is it great to see our geographic footprint growing, but we are also seeing more members and representatives from across every stage of the frozen food supply chain,” Thomas Eskesen, chairman of the Move to -15°C Coalition, said in a release.
“By redefining temperature set points, we stand to make a significant impact in the decarbonisation of global supply chains. But no one company can do this alone. To set us up for success, our focus remains on scaling our membership base and we encourage key players within the frozen food supply chain to reach out and get involved,” Eskesen said.
