The refrigeration industry agrees to raise storage and transport temperatures by three degrees.

With this initiative, companies’ energy consumption could be reduced by 10-11%.

“Move to -15°C”, launched at COP28, is an initiative designed to reduce carbon emissions in the frozen food supply chain. In recent months, the project has gained a substantial number of members, including companies such as Kuehne + Nagel, Maersk and MSC. The project seeks to change the standard storage and transport temperature for frozen food, lowering it from the current -18°C to -15°C, with the aim of significantly decreasing the environmental impact without compromising food safety.

Traditionally, the industry has kept frozen foods at -18°C, a practice that has been followed for a century without a sound scientific basis. However, advances in cold chain technology and logistics have opened the door to reconsider this standard.

A measure that also reduces costs

Recent studies in this field have shown that a reduction of three degrees can translate into a reduction in energy consumption of between 10% and 11%, which not only reduces carbon emissions, but also means significant cost savings for companies.

Nomad Foods, Europe’s leading frozen food manufacturer, has been an early supporter of this initiative. In February 2024, the company published the results of a 12-month study confirming that storing food at -15°C does not affect its safety, texture, taste or nutritional value. These findings support the transition to this new supply chain practice.

“Move to -15°C” gains more followers

Since its launch, the Move to -15°C initiative has continued to…