Three quarters of the population would back a change in national regulation to allow frozen food to be stored and transported at –15°C.
New research shared exclusively with the Grocer from the Move to –15°C coalition found that 74% of the population were unaware of its campaign to raise the temperature of frozen food across the supply chain from –18°C to –15°C.
The coalition argues that increasing the temperature of freezers by 3°C would cut carbon emissions without compromising on food safety or quality.
When shoppers they were informed of the campaign and its benefits, three quarters said they would support a change in national regulation.
Support was even higher among those who were already familiar with the initiative, with 92% in favour of updating the 100-year-old requirement to keep freezers at –18°C.
The Move to –15°C campaign was founded in 2023 following the launch of the Three Degrees of Change report, which brought together academics from the Paris-based International Institute of Refrigeration, the University of Birmingham, London South Bank University and global logistics firm DP World. Its 50 industry members include Birds Eye owner Nomad Foods, Iceland, Morrisons and the BFFF.
The report found that raising the temperature of freezers from –18°C to –15°C could save 17.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year, the equivalent annual emissions of 3.8 million cars annually, save 25 terawatt-hours of energy, equivalent to 8.6% of the UK’s annual energy consumption, and reduce supply chain costs by up to 12%.
Sandra Roling, managing director of the Move to –15°C coalition, said: “Every degree counts and with modern technology, data, and cross-sector collaboration, we can make a meaningful impact.”
The Move to –15°C campaign will ramp up UK and international pilots as well as political lobbying in the new year.
“A change in global temperature standards will only work if everyone moves together, from ports to plates,” Roling added. “The UK pilot phase is about building proof, trust and momentum. It’s a small technical shift with a big environmental return.”
Shoppers are also buying frozen food more than they did three years ago, the research found.
The study of more than 2,000 UK adults found that nearly one in three people (29%) are using more frozen food than they were a few years ago. Three in five (63%) are using it about the same, and only 8% less.
Taste (76%), quality (71%) and value for money (64%) were the most important factors when choosing frozen.
One in four said they were more confident in frozen food quality and 29% that they were buying a broader range of frozen food than a few years ago.
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