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This activity has not only been with consumers and manufacturers , but throughout the whole supply chain . While the processing of food has an impact on waste , so too does its packaging . Investing in good packaging must go hand in hand with the food processing system , and there are multiple challenges to consider – not least the issue of single-use plastic packaging .
Pressure to reduce the use of these plastics which are , without doubt , a major contributor to our climate crisis , continues to grow . Meanwhile , government consultations on how food manufacturers best use different types of plastic are still ongoing .
Moving into 2024 , food manufacturers will be keen to continue to ensure that products are processed and manufactured sustainably . As such , we are seeing a move from manufacturers to explore the role that freezing can play in further extending shelf life and so , further bolstering waste reduction efforts .
After all , there is no denying that consumers increasingly looking to save money and reduce waste , now seek products that have an extended food shelf-life . As a result , frozen food is growing in popularity , with independent research ( commissioned by the British Frozen Food Federation in 2023 ), revealing that two in five consumers are now buying more frozen food than they did just a year ago . The sector has seen the frozen food market grow exponentially .
Cryogenic freezing is increasingly recognized as a cost-effective alternative to traditional methods of food freezing because of the way it supports waste reduction ( during production and on the consumer side ) and offers faster food production times . The fast cooling associated with cryogenic freezing enables producers to process more of their product at a faster pace , resulting in high quality products and less risk on losses due to non-optimal freezing .
Cryogenic freezers can also be adjusted across a wide range of temperatures at short notice to adapt to changing production demands easily . This allows manufacturers to
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