Three Degrees of Change: Frozen food in a resilient and sustainable food system

Currently the industry standard set-point is -18°C or lower: a temperature established in the mid-20th century which provides a good margin of safety. Some in the industry think a standard set-point of -15°C would be more appropriate for certain food products and that a requirement to not ‘over-freeze’ could be introduced - without any significant negative impacts on food safety or quality. The change in this temperature could be valuable in the context of reducing the increase in energy demand and GHG emissions from the sector. It would also deliver a substantial commercial benefit to cold-chain operators through reduced energy costs.
This piece of work sets out to provide a high-level indication of the size of the opportunity of three degrees of change in the set point for frozen food and to identify if there are any immediate 'no-go' critical barriers to change. It does not deliver detailed intervention strategies, nor granular, market by market bottom-up numbers. It does though aim to provide an evidence-based indication of the value, a framework, and next steps for more detailed analysis to underpin a consensus roadmap planned for publication in the first half of 2024.