UK | The new BFFF president has called for an industry-wide debate on frozen food temperatures.
Karen McQuade, the newly elected president of the British Frozen Food Federation (BFFF), called in her maiden speech for members to debate raising the standard temperature for frozen food.
Addressing the Federation’s annual lunch, McQuade said there was a compelling environmental case for raising the standard set at -18 degrees since the frozen food industry was born 100 years ago.
“Our freezers have been set to -18 for a century. Is now the time to consider turning the temperature up? Moving to a higher temperature can reduce emissions and save energy, but it’s not a simple switch,” said McQuade.
“Raising the temperature for frozen food storage to -15 could reduce energy consumption and cut global emissions by 17.7 million metric tonnes annually, the equivalent of removing 3.8 million cars from the road.”
The BFFF has been researching increasing the standard temperature since 2009, and earlier this year, it joined the international coalition The Move to -15°C.
Karen McQuade said that the industry needed to engage in a frank discussion about whether the standard was still fit for purpose and what potential changes could improve sustainability.
“The first step is to fill in the gaps in scientific research supporting the temperature shift. Research is already underway.”
Earlier this year, Nomad Foods conducted an 18-month study that found no significant changes in food quality or safety within the categories tested at -15. However, more research is needed to understand the impact of these factors on delicate food categories.
“I hope more than anything that next year I can stand here with news that we have moved closer to a safe and stable new global standard temperature.”
The new president also highlighted the industry's challenges in changing consumer attitudes, addressing the widespread lack of freezer space in homes, and the role the sector can play in helping reduce food waste.
UK Foodhall Ltd founder McQuade was elected president at the BFFF AGM on the 13th of November, succeeding Ian Stone, who had been in the post since December 2020.
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