The 18-month study, conducted by Nomad and Campden BRI, found that a 3°C increase in frozen food garage temperatures can freeze energy consumption by 10%, with no need for reformulation.
Nine frozen salted food products were analyzed: poultry, battered fish, herbal fish, vegetables, plant-based foods, and pizza. Four temperatures (ranging from -18°C to -nineC) and 8 key areas, adding food safety, texture, nutrition, energy intake and packaging impact were tested.
After 18 months, there has been no significant substitution in products stored at 15°C compared to -18°C, except for some vegetables that, after their expiry date, experienced a drop in their vitamin C levels.
This new set of effects follows the release of the 12-month effects, which Nomad says increase the weight in the garage option to -15°C.
Options for the report to be peer-reviewed are being explored lately.
The study comes at the same time that Nomad Foods has the first food manufacturer to sign up to an industry initiative known as “Moving to -15°C” unveiled at COP28.
The company’s CEO, Stéfan Descheemaeker, is now calling for other frozen food brands to join the movement: “We already know that frozen foods compare very well with selected preservation strategies in terms of carbon footprint. The latest effects of our study with Campden The BRI highlights the critical role of frozen foods in reducing the overall food industry’s impact on climate change.
“As we celebrate the centenary of Clarence Birdseye’s invention of freezing, I think he would be very proud to see the inventions implemented in the frozen food category to tackle the world’s greatest challenge: climate change. “