Unilever has announced it will grant a free, non-exclusive license to the ice cream industry for 12 reformulation patents following the successful implementation of two pilot projects to optimise the efficiency of its last-mile ice cream freezer cabinets.
The granted patents offer the industry access to technology facilitating the reformulation of ice cream products that can maintain stability at the relatively warmer freezer temperature of -12°C, as opposed to the prevailing industry standard of -18°C. The overarching goal is to foster collaboration among ice cream manufacturers, leveraging these patents to transition towards globally adopted, energy-efficient freezer cabinets.
Last year, Unilever announced its ambition to increase the temperature of its last-mile ice cream freezer cabinets whilst ensuring the same ice cream quality and consumer experience. Since then, research conducted at Colworth, Unilever’s Global Ice Cream research and development centre and two pilots in Germany have confirmed an energy reduction of around 25 percent per freezer cabinet at the warmer temperature of -12°C, which is better for the environment, and means the freezers are cheaper to run.
Andy Sztehlo, chief research and development officer of ice cream at Unilever, said that the company was pleased to take this next step in increasing the temperature of its last-mile ice cream freezer cabinets.
“By granting a free, non-exclusive license to these 12 reformulation patents, we hope our peers and partners from across the ice cream sector will benefit and work to tackle emissions across the industry,” said Sztehlo.
“We believe through collaboration, we can reduce the cold chain’s impact on the environment whilst continuing to deliver the great quality ice cream products our consumers love.”
The move is a strategic response to address the significant environmental impact of retail ice cream freezers, which currently contribute to 10 percent of Unilever’s value chain greenhouse gas footprint. This aligns with Unilever’s broader Climate Transition Action Plan, outlining its roadmap to achieve net-zero emissions across its value chain by 2039.
Additionally, the plan sets a science-based target to halve the emissions impact of its products concerning consumer use by 2030, relative to a 2010 baseline.
Ice cream freezers include reducing cabinet energy consumption through innovation of the leading technical components (e.g., compressors), exploring programmes that will enable the freezers to be powered by renewable electricity, and working towards ‘warming up’ freezer cabinets.
