04 May 2022
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A campaign to explain cooling’s essential role in protecting human health and the planet has been launched to celebrate World Refrigeration Day on June 26.
United Nations Environment Program OzonAction, Chefs4thePlanet and Global Food Cold Chain Council are partnering for the Cooling Keeps Food Fresh campaign, which will describe why cooling is necessary for food safety and how it supports nutritious diets that sustain our health, help reduce food loss and waste, and protect the environment.
Leading chefs from around the world have signed on to the campaign. They will describe how cooling is necessary for their locally inspired cuisine. The chef’s recipes will be accompanied by tips educating consumers on the cooling choices they can make in their home to save money, prolong the life of products, and understand how food waste and loss contribute to climate change.
World Refrigeration Day founder Steve Gill said: “Cooling matters and keeping food safe is one example of that. Cooling is at the very heart of modern life. And the importance of cooling to the global food chain and sustaining human life on our planet cannot be overestimated.”
Jim Curlin of UNEP’s OzonAction Law Division said: “Cooling makes so many important contributions to our society, with direct connections to lives, livelihoods, health, nutrition and environmental protection. Besides its main purpose of keeping food fresh and safe to eat, your refrigerator can also be an agent of change to help solve environmental challenges such as preserving Earth’s ozone layer, fighting climate change, and promoting energy efficiency.
"You may not recognize it, but the refrigerator-freezer in your house or your favourite restaurant is a superstar that has a huge impact far beyond the kitchen. The Cooling Keeps Food Fresh campaign seeks to motivate the public to learn about the myriad benefits of cooling.”
Central to the campaign is the support of world-renowned chefs who belong to Chefs4thePlanet. Anne Le More and Sebastien Ripari are the organisation’s co-founders.
“At a time when each day we increasingly exceed our planetary boundaries, and agriculture produces about a quarter of global greenhouse emissions, feeding ten billion people in 2050 is requiring the systemic transformation of our food system. Chefs as role models and influencers have a key role to play,” said Le More.
During the campaign, chefs representing various regions of the world will deliver video messages, reinforcing their commitment to maintaining a planet sustainable for human life and describing how cooling contributes to day-to-day cooking and their kitchens’ operations. “Alternative proteins as well as seasonal, local and plant-based ingredients are becoming more and more important in gastronomy, and cooling will continue to be essential,” added Ripari.
According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, the contribution of food waste emissions to global warming is almost equivalent to global road transport emissions. If it were a country, food waste would be the third largest emitting country in the world.
Juergen Goeller, Co-Chair of the Global Food Cold Chain Council and Director of Regulatory Affairs for Carrier Refrigeration, said: “Industry can facilitate the reduction of food waste and its negative environmental impact by promoting greater access to food preservation technology and promoting the development and utilization of cost-effective, energy-efficient equipment with reduced environmental impact. A sustainable food cold chain will be an economic, social and environmental net-positive.”
To learn more about Cooling Keeps Food Fresh, visit www.worldrefrigerationday.org or contact [email protected]
