Morrisons is trialling an innovative approach to save energy and reduce costs by raising the temperature of its freezers by 3°C.
This move marks the first departure by a UK supermarket from the industry standard, which has remained unchanged for nearly a century.
The Bradford-based retailer will increase freezer temperatures from -18°C to -15°C in ten stores across the UK, spanning from Scotland to the south of England. This geographical spread ensures the trial evaluates various weather patterns and supply routes before any potential wider rollout.
This initiative is supported by Birds Eye, the UK’s largest frozen food brand, and is part of the Move to Minus 15°C Coalition. Other coalition members include logistics firms DP World and Blue Water, and Danish Crown, a bacon seller.
A recent report for the Cop28 climate crisis conference by academics at the University of Birmingham and Heriot-Watt University suggests that a 3°C increase in freezer temperatures across global supply chains could save 8.6% of the energy consumed in the UK and cut carbon emissions equivalent to removing 3.8 million cars from the road.
An 18-month study by Nomad Foods, Birds Eye’s parent company, along with food science and technology organisation Campden BRI, found that raising freezer temperatures from -18°C to -15°C can cut energy consumption by 10% to 11%, without compromising food safety, texture, taste, or nutritional value.
Morrisons, which has faced challenges in the grocery market since a debt-fuelled takeover nearly three years ago, hopes the cost savings from this initiative will help keep prices down for shoppers and support its goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions from its operations by 2035.
Ruth McDonald, corporate services director at Morrisons, stated: “The standard temperature for the storage and transport of frozen food today looks like it is simply a convention from nearly 100 years ago. 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.”
Thomas Eskesen, chair of the Move to Minus 15°C Coalition, praised the initiative: “To have a large UK retailer like Morrisons on board is an important step forward.”
Stefan Descheemaeker, CEO of Nomad Foods, added: “We know from our study that increasing the temperature at which we store frozen food can significantly reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions. Establishing an end-to-end frozen industry alliance to put our findings into action will be the key to unlocking widespread change.”
**Meta Description:** Morrisons is testing raising freezer temperatures by 3°C in a bid to save energy and reduce costs, supported by Birds Eye and the Move to Minus 15°C Coalition. Learn how this could impact the future of the frozen food industry.
