The British Frozen Food Federation backs the move to -15

Freezing and chilling food are important methods of keeping produce fresh and safe to eat, but with the threat of global warming more prevalent than ever, moves have been made to assess how best to safely freeze food with reduced damage to the environment.

The Move to -15°C coalition aims to redefine frozen food temperature standards, with the goal of saving 17.7 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide per year – the equivalent of taking 3.8 million cars off the road annually.

Why have the BFFF and CCF made this recommendation?

The BFFF reports that recent studies show that whilst (small) temperature increases do not compromise food safety or quality, changing the standard temperature would significantly reduce carbon emissions.

Both the BFFF and CCF have been involved in previous research on revising the temperature - which has not been changed since it was established 100 years ago.

By joining the Coalition on behalf of their memberships, both federations are committing to putting forward the views of hundreds of frozen food and logistics businesses across the UK to this campaign.

What the BFFF say

Rupert Ashby, CEO of the British Frozen Food Federation, said:

“For a hundred years frozen food has brought a host of benefits to consumers and businesses, locking in nutritional value and offering greater quality and a variety of products at more affordable prices. It also has a major role to play in reducing food waste, something that is a major environmental challenge. “If the science and evidence show that the industry can increase temperatures, it would allow our industry to continue delivering these advantages while also achieving further cuts in carbon emissions, and that’s why we’re joining the Move to -15°C Coalition on our members’ behalf.”

What the CCF say

Phil Pluck, CEO of the Cold Chain Federation, said:

“The -18°C standard has not been reviewed in almost a century. Meanwhile, the technology, equipment and processes used to manage temperature-controlled logistics have advanced beyond recognition. The result is that we’re now able to make this hugely positive change without jeopardising the great benefits frozen food delivers to consumers and businesses. “The CCF and its members are a major force in creating environmentally sustainable solutions to delivering safe food to the UK consumer. This initiative could contribute huge carbon savings on a UK and global level and so we wholeheartedly support the ambitions of this Coalition.”