Morrisons to raise freezer temps in bid to cut emissions

The UK supermarket chain has taken the step in 10 stores, going from the industry standard -18°C to -15°C in a bid to reduce its carbon emissions, save energy and cut costs. It added that plans to roll out the change across all of its stores and wider frozen supply chain are still being put together.

The move comes after recent academic studies showed that widespread global adoption of a change of just 3°C across the supply chain could mean potential savings equivalent to 8.6% of the UK's energy consumption and reduce carbon emissions equivalent to taking 3.8m cars off the road. One such study​​, by Nomad Foods and Campden BRI, was conducted over an 18-month period and concluded that there was no significant change in product quality when stored at -15°C.

By signing the Move to -15°C Coalition’s letter of intent, Morrisons is has also committed to advocate throughout the UK supply chain for food producers, logistics operations and retailers to join the movement.

Morrisons hopes to achieve net zero carbon emissions from its own operations by 2035.

‘We now have vastly better freezers and modern technology’

Commenting on the decision, Morrisons group corporate services director Ruth McDonald said that the current industry standard of -18°C “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,”​ McDonald continued.

“We applaud the Move to -15°C movement for their original thinking and willingness to challenge a long-accepted standard and in doing so identify a significant opportunity for positive progress for both the environment and the food industry.  ​

“So, on behalf of our customers, our carbon commitments, and the planet we are enthusiastically embracing the opportunity and putting together a concrete plan and timetable to increase the freezer temperatures across our stores and frozen supply chain by 3°C. As we execute our plan, we will be encouraging our suppliers and partners to do the same.”​

Meanwhile, Move to -15°C Coalition chair Thomas Eskesen added: “We are delighted to welcome Morrisons to our Coalition, and are excited that they are taking action. In order for us to be successful with making the change to -15°C, it is essential that we have representatives and support from every stage of the frozen food supply chain, so to have a large UK retailer like Morrisons on board is an important 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.”​

In other news, several Morrisons and Hovis branded crumpet products have been recalled because they may contain small pieces of metal.​​