Frozen food can be safely stored at -15°C rather than the long-established -18°C industry standard, while maintaining product quality and reducing energy consumption by around 7 per cent, according to new research from Nomad Foods.
The findings, published in npj Science of Food, a peer-reviewed journal in the Nature portfolio, could support efforts to reduce energy use and carbon emissions across the frozen food supply chain.
The 18-month study assessed nine frozen food categories and generated more than 20,000 quality measurements. Nomad Foods said the research found that, for most of the products tested, storage at -15°C maintained food safety, quality, nutritional value and shelf life within accepted limits.
The research provides evidence for the Move to -15°C initiative, which is seeking to reduce emissions from temperature-controlled frozen food supply chains by raising the standard storage temperature from -18°C to -15°C.
Nomad Foods, whose brands include Birds Eye, Aunt Bessie’s and Goodfella’s, became the first food manufacturer to join the global Move to -15°C coalition in June 2024.
Neil Fletcher, general counsel at Nomad Foods and board member of the coalition, said the peer-reviewed publication was an “important milestone” for the company and the wider frozen food industry.
“Our findings demonstrate that it is possible to reduce energy consumption across the cold chain while maintaining the safety and quality consumers expect from frozen food,” he said.
“We believe this research will help inform industry discussions and support more sustainable practices across temperature-controlled supply chains.”
For retailers, a move to -15°C could have implications across the frozen supply chain, from distribution and storage through to in-store freezers, if the approach is adopted more widely.
Nomad Foods has previously published research on the environmental impact of frozen food. In 2023, it released a life cycle assessment which found that many of its popular frozen products had an equivalent or lower carbon footprint than comparable foods preserved using alternative methods.
The company was also named in the Dow Jones Best in Class Index Europe in 2026 for the fifth consecutive year, placing it among the top-performing European food companies for sustainability.