Despite the fact that there have been developments in refrigeration technology, the industry standard has not been amended since it was set almost a century ago. The business asserts that the long-term cost savings will assist in maintaining costs at a lower level to a greater extent.
The temperature in a few of Morrisons’ store freezers has increased by three degrees Celsius.
The grocery store chain, on the other hand, has stated that the measure would not have any impact whatsoever on the safety of food, despite the fact that it is a component of a project to cut carbon emissions.
Although there have been advancements in refrigeration technology, the current industry standard, which stipulates that freezers should be kept at -18 degrees Celsius, has not been changed since it was established approximately a century ago. This is despite the fact that there have been other breakthroughs in refrigeration technology.
Alterations have been made to the temperature of the freezers in ten different establishments located all throughout the country. These adjustments were made in consideration of the weather as well as the routes that serve the businesses. The alteration to the temperature is going to be implemented at further sites, according to the plans.
According to the store, a three-degree Celsius increase in the temperature of the freezers throughout the supply chain will “transform” the business by lowering the number of carbon emissions, conserving energy, and lowering expenses. This is the claim that the store makes.
It referred to studies that demonstrated that the implementation of the change on a global scale had the potential to realize savings that were equivalent to 8.6% of the energy usage in the United Kingdom and to cut carbon emissions that were equivalent to taking 3.8 million automobiles off the road. These savings and reductions in carbon emissions were expected to be realized if the change was implemented.
It is strongly recommended that each and every one of Morrisons’ suppliers join the Move to -15C Coalition.
The corporation indicated that the reduction in carbon emissions would be a significant step towards meeting its objective of generating net zero emissions from its own activities by the year 2035. This target is intended to be accomplished by the year 2035. Furthermore, the firm indicated that the related long-term cost reductions would make it possible for it to lower, maintain, or raise prices across all of its 1,600 convenience stores and 500 supermarkets located in the United Kingdom.
Ruth McDonald, the director of corporate services for the Morrisons Group, has stated that “at the moment, industry standards are based on either convenience, science, or safety.”
The temperature that is believed to be the standard for the storage and transportation of frozen food in today’s world appears to be nothing more than a convention that dates back almost a century.
“We now have vastly better freezers and modern technology and monitoring that gives us a precise picture of frozen food temperatures throughout the supply chain.”
Set the temperature to -15 degrees Celsius. According to Thomas Eskesen, the coalition’s chairman, it is crucial that we have representatives and support from every stage of the frozen food supply chain. “In order for us to be successful with making the change to -15C, it is essential that we have representatives from every stage of the supply chain.” On account of this, the fact that a significant retailer in the United Kingdom, such as Morrisons, is on board is a significant step forward for us.
“By raising the temperature of its freezers in 10 of its stores across the UK, Morrisons is demonstrating that change is possible, and we know that this seemingly small change can lead to a significant, positive environmental impact.”