Key Players in Global Cold Chain are Joining Move to -15°C
Launched at the COP28 Climate Change Conference, the Move to -15°C is a sustainability initiative dedicated to cutting carbon emissions in the frozen food supply chain.
It’s a movement that appears to be gaining significant momentum, with membership doubling since the United Nations’ flagship climate event was staged in Dubai towards the tail end of last year.
Move to -15°C recently secured the support of Nomad Foods, Europe’s leading frozen food manufacturer and the company behind iconic brands, including Bird’s Eye, Findus and Iglo.
“Collaboration is essential to our success, so we are delighted to have attracted so many notable new members to our coalition,” comments Thomas Eskesen, Chairman of Move to -15°C.
“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.”
Cutting supply chain costs
The frozen food temperature set point of -18°C was established as an industry standard a century ago, with little scientific basis.
Clearly, logistics technology has improved considerably in the ensuing years, while academic research shows a small, three-degree change in temperature could make a significant environmental impact with no compromise on food safety.
In February 2024, Nomad Foods released the 12-month results of its ongoing landmark study, which revealed that storing frozen food at -15°C, instead of long-recognised industry standard -18°C, can reduce freezer energy consumption by 10-11% without any noticeable impact on product safety, texture, taste or nutritional value.
The Move to -15°C is aimed at reducing emissions and cutting supply chain costs, but will inevitably require collaboration from the entire frozen food supply chain.
Major players demonstrate commitment
Nomad Foods is not the only major player from the food industry to demonstrate its commitment to the coalition, with international Danish food company, Danish Crown, among those to become members.
What’s more, commitment from the global transport and logistics industry has continued to grow.
Blue Water Shipping, the worldwide transport and logistics provider, Constellation Cold Logistics, Europe’s second-largest cold logistics operator, and Indicold, provider of reliable, cost-effective cold storage and logistics solutions in India, are the latest to join industry peers in the Move to -15°C.
Furthermore, Seacube Container Leasing, one of world’s largest purchasers and lessors of refrigerated containers, Orbcomm, an IoT technology pioneer, and Seafrigo, which has developed a worldwide network within the refrigeration space, have also recently joined.
“By redefining temperature set points, we stand to make a significant impact in the decarbonisation of global supply chains,” adds Thomas.
“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.”
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