Nomad Foods has found that increasing the temperature of freezers by 3 degrees Celsius can significantly reduce energy consumption without affecting the safety or quality of food products.
The pilot study, conducted with Campden BRI, revealed that storing frozen food at minus 15 C instead of the industry standard of minus 18 C could cut freezer energy consumption by more than 10%.
Conducted over a six-month period, nine products varying from poultry and natural fish to vegetables and plant-based foods were tested across temperatures ranging from minus 18 C to minus 9 C. They were measured against eight key areas: food safety, texture, nutrition, energy use, and packaging impact.
“Delivered at scale, this could revolutionize our industry and deliver substantial energy use and cost reductions for manufacturers, food retailers, and consumers and further reduce the carbon footprint of frozen food products.”
Some minor effects were found in sensory and vitamin C content at the highest temperature of minus 9 C. Sensory changes were also discovered in mixed vegetables stored at minus 9 C and salmon fillets at minus 12 C.
Apart from these, there was no noticeable impact on product safety, texture, taste, or nutrition of the frozen food products. It is estimated that for every 3 C increase in temperature, freezer energy consumption drops by 10 to 11%.
“This new pilot study with Campden BRI shows that we have the potential to significantly reduce energy use when storing frozen products, without reformulating,” said Stéfan Descheemaeker, Nomad Foods’ Chief Executive Officer.
“Delivered at scale, this could revolutionize our industry and deliver substantial energy use and cost reductions for manufacturers, food retailers, and consumers and further reduce the carbon footprint of frozen food products.”
The company added its hopes of sharing these results with trade bodies, retail partners, and other key stakeholders “to explore opportunities for broader collaboration”.
Redefining industry standards
In its 2022 sustainability report, Nomad Foods outlined a commitment to transform the food system, working towards a future where food is produced in a manner that respects the health of people and the planet.
“We have set clear time-bound targets, aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and focused on areas that have the largest impact on our business, employees, and the communities that we serve, and where we believe we can make a meaningful contribution to wider efforts to tackle the climate crisis,” Descheemaeker shared.
The past year has seen the company make considerable progress against its commitments. This includes sourcing 100% of fish and seafood from sustainable fishing or responsible farming by the end of 2025 and reducing its greenhouse gas emissions intensity across operations by 45% from a 2019 baseline.
Earlier this month, Nomad Foods signed an agreement for its first energy installation at an Italy manufacturing site. It will work with company Grastim to reduce CO2 emissions by almost 1,200 tons annually.
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