New Environmental Assessment Shows That Frozen and Fresh Foods Have Comparable Environmental Impacts
On behalf of the dti, the Öko-Institut compares nine environmental impact categories across the entire life cycle of seven frozen food products
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Reducing food waste, using resources more efficiently, and strengthening food security: With “Zero Waste” and “food security,” the action agenda for the COP31 World Climate Conference, taking place November 9–20 in Antalya, sets important priorities. The study “Environmental Footprint of Frozen Foods 2025,” published in September 2026 by the Öko-Institut on behalf of the German Frozen Food Institute (dti), demonstrates the contribution the frozen food industry can make toward these goals. Its key finding: Overall, the frozen products examined have environmental impacts comparable to those of refrigerated, non-refrigerated, or home-cooked alternatives. The decisive factor is considering the entire life cycle.
“COP31 makes it clear that, when it comes to climate protection, we must take the entire food system into account—including the question of how much of the food produced actually ends up on our plates,” explains Sabine Eichner, managing director of the German Frozen Food Institute. “Thanks to their long shelf life and ease of portioning, frozen products can help prevent food loss. Our environmental assessment shows that, despite their energy requirements, the frozen products examined do not automatically have a greater environmental impact than their respective comparable products. At the same time, it provides companies and consumers with important insights into how environmental impacts can be further reduced.”
Environmental Assessment: The Entire Life Cycle Counts
For the current study, the Öko-Institut compared seven selected frozen products with alternative product forms. Nine environmental impact categories were examined across the entire life cycle—from agricultural production to preparation and disposal. Depending on the product and the environmental impact, the frozen variants sometimes perform better and sometimes worse. The form in which the product is offered alone does not therefore determine the environmental footprint.
Key influencing factors include, in particular, the raw ingredients and recipes, the electricity mix, energy requirements, and storage duration, as well as preparation in the household. Food loss also affects the environmental footprint: If less food is thrown away, fewer raw ingredients are needed to produce the same amount of food consumed. The study draws on literature data and model assumptions for this analysis, not its own waste measurements.
Zero Waste: Food Waste Is a Significant Climate Factor
According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), approximately 1.05 billion metric tons of food waste—including inedible components—were generated worldwide in 2022 by households, the food service industry, and the retail sector. This amounted to 19 percent of the food available in those sectors; about 60 percent of the waste originated in private households. According to UNEP estimates, food loss and waste account for eight to ten percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Preventing this waste is therefore a key lever for climate protection.
Thanks to their long shelf life and versatility, frozen foods can help reduce food waste in private households as well as in the food service industry and institutional catering. According to the representative dti-TK Trend Barometer 2025 by Innofact, only 33 percent of respondents reported throwing away frozen products regularly or occasionally. For fresh foods, the figure was 57 percent, and for refrigerated products, 49 percent.
Food Security: Freezing Strengthens the Food Supply
With “Food Security,” COP31 is bringing another key challenge of climate change into focus: How can the food supply be made more resilient in the face of extreme weather events, droughts, fluctuating harvest yields, and disruptions in supply chains?
The frozen food industry can make an important contribution to this effort. As a link between agriculture and the food supply chain, it enables seasonal harvests to be processed promptly, preserved for the long term through rapid freezing, and made available throughout the year in line with demand. This helps prevent losses of perishable raw materials, better balance out seasonal fluctuations, and make food available regardless of the harvest season.
In this way, frozen food addresses two central concerns of COP31: “Zero Waste” and “Food Security.” It can help reduce food loss and its associated environmental impacts and make the food supply more resilient in the face of climate change. A reliable and increasingly energy-efficient cold chain is essential for this.
FROSTEQ: Researching the Climate Protection Potential of the Cold Chain
To further reduce the climate impacts of the cold chain, the frozen food industry is also actively engaged in research. A key area of focus is energy consumption in frozen food storage: Theoretically, raising the storage temperature by one degree Celsius could reduce energy consumption by about three percent and thus help lower CO2 emissions. The international research project FROSTEQ (2025–2029) is investigating whether this is possible without compromising food safety, quality, and shelf life.
Under the leadership of Wageningen Food & Biobased Research, international partners—including the dti—are investigating higher and fluctuating storage temperatures compared to the standard temperature of minus 18 degrees Celsius. Long-term trials with eight frozen products have been underway since July 2026; five more are scheduled to follow in January 2027. The goal is to establish a scientific basis for a more energy-efficient and lower-emission cold chain.
“COP31 demonstrates how important concrete solutions are for climate protection,” emphasizes dti Managing Director Eichner. “Our environmental assessment highlights where we can further reduce the environmental impact of frozen foods. Through FROSTEQ, we are collaborating with international partners to explore concrete opportunities for energy savings and reduced emissions. Our message for COP31 is clear: reducing food waste, using resources and energy efficiently, and ensuring resilient supply chains go hand in hand. As the frozen food industry, we want to contribute to this with scientifically sound solutions.”
Note: This article has been translated using a computer system without human intervention. LUMITOS offers these automatic translations to present a wider range of current news. Since this article has been translated with automatic translation, it is possible that it contains errors in vocabulary, syntax or grammar. The original article in German can be found here.
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Topic world Food safety
Food safety is at the heart of the food and beverage industry. It ensures that the food we eat every day is not only nutritious, but also free of harmful contaminants. From field to plate, the industry monitors and regulates every step of the process with strict quality controls, advanced testing methods and continuous research.
Topic world Food safety
Food safety is at the heart of the food and beverage industry. It ensures that the food we eat every day is not only nutritious, but also free of harmful contaminants. From field to plate, the industry monitors and regulates every step of the process with strict quality controls, advanced testing methods and continuous research.