Nomad Foods, Europe's largest frozen food company, conducted an 18-month pilot study with renowned food science experts Camden BRI, revealing results that show it is possible to reduce freezer energy without any noticeable impact on the nutritional value, safety, texture or taste of its products.
In recent years, the frozen food industry has faced a myriad of challenges, including rising energy prices for refrigeration and transportation, growing demands for sustainability, a consumer shift towards fresh, non-frozen and “natural” foods, and the need for product innovation solutions.
Nomad Foods, which joins well-known brands such as Birds Eye, Findus, iglo, Ledo and Frikom, worked with Campden BRI to investigate the feasibility of increasing storage temperatures for frozen foods.
What they find could transform the industry's approach to cold storage, while meeting growing industry and consumer demand for more sustainable practices.
The aim of the study was to determine whether increasing storage temperatures from the industry standard of -18°C to -15°C could significantly reduce carbon emissions and costs without compromising product quality, which it did.
Here we consider the findings of this study and what they mean for the global frozen food industry.
Nomad Foods Survey
Results showed that increasing the storage temperature of frozen foods by three degrees could reduce freezer energy consumption by more than 10 percent without damaging the products.
The study looked at nine savory foods, including chicken, battered fish, wild-caught fish, vegetables, plant-based foods and pizza.
To ensure thoroughness, researchers tested the products at four different temperature points, ranging from the industry standard of -18°C to a warmer -9°C.
