Attendees of the British Frozen Food Federation’s (BFFF) annual Business Conference will hear from speakers from Nomad and Unilever, who will discuss research into increasing the temperature for frozen food storage.

The Business Conference, which is to be hosted by TV presenter Sameena Ali-Khan and held at Doncaster Racecourse on Wednesday 28th February 2024, will see discussion around research into the necessity of challenging the traditional -18°C standard in frozen food storage.

Sam Fulton from frozen food company Nomad Foods (parent company of Birds Eye and Findus) and Jeremy Harrison from consumer goods company Unilever (Wall’s brand ice creams) will present findings on the energy-saving benefits of storing frozen goods at a temperature warmer than -18°C, the potential changes needed and the collaborative efforts required to implement them.

The full speaker line-up will include figures from across the industry, covering topics including Northern Irish border agreements and importing and exporting within the EU. Peter Bambury from Roswel Spedition GMBH, James Walton from IGD and Lewis Kain from Kantar will present to delegates before lunch, followed by a Q&A panel session.

During the afternoon, delegates will hear from sustainability and food sector experts including Andrew Selley from Bidcorp, Seton Leung from Circana and Gary Stott from the Company Shop Group.

Industry is obligated to address its emissions, says BFFF CEO

CEO of the BFFF Rupert Ashby said: “2024 marks the 100th year of frozen food. As we celebrate this momentous milestone, there are many questions about sustainability, inflation rates and international trading that British Frozen Food Federation members are asking.

“The BFFF Business Conference on 28th February will address them all through a series of talks and presentations looking at frozen food performance, insights into the future, and practical approaches to trading with Europe.

“We will also hear the all-important research reports into temperature changes. In the current climate, our industry has a moral obligation to see if changes can be made which could significantly reduce emissions from the frozen food chain, further adding to all the excellent benefits offered by the category.

“Following the Business Conference, we urge the industry to come together to collaborate and add weight to the existing temperature research and consider seriously what changes are possible.”

Ashby continued: “Our Business Conference presents an invaluable opportunity to connect with industry specialists, with prolific speakers, expert analysts and business leaders providing essential insights. It is a highly informative and educational day, delving into key industry topics, opportunities and challenges within our sector.

“Attendees will gain a comprehensive understanding of the industry’s performance and future expectations, all while fostering valuable connections with so many other senior management delegates.”

More details about the conference can be found here.