Under the banner “Frozen Food Supply Chain: Delivering Food Security for the World,” the International Frozen Food Network (IFFN) and the Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA) convened the second International Frozen Food Conference on October 7 during Anuga, the leading global food trade fair in Cologne.
The event underscored the crucial role that frozen food and resilient cold chain logistics play in ensuring a secure and sustainable global food supply amid increasingly volatile international markets. Keynote speeches, expert presentations, and panel discussions explored pressing issues in trade policy, sustainability, and food safety. More than 100 trade professionals from industry, logistics, associations, and government took part.
The conference, an official component of Anuga’s event program, reflects Koelnmesse’s long-standing commitment to advancing the frozen food sector worldwide.
At the opening, Sabine Eichner, Managing Director of the German Frozen Food Institute (dti), highlighted the importance of frozen products in stabilizing global food systems. “When it comes to global food security, frozen food is an indispensable solution,” Eichner said. “In a world where the climate, the geopolitical situation, and commodity prices can change overnight, frozen products offer time: time to transport food safely over long distances, time to compensate for seasonal fluctuations and shocks, and time for families to reliably plan their budgets.”
Julie Hanson, Director Europe at the GCCA, emphasized the collaborative mission of the two organizations. “Our conference reflects the shared goal of IFFN and GCCA: to raise global awareness of the benefits of frozen food and to strengthen collaboration along our entire value chain, so we can better contribute to sustainable nutrition for the world’s population,” she said.
The IFFN, which brings together national frozen food associations from North America and Europe, aims to foster international exchange, share best practices, and represent the frozen food industry in global policy discussions. The dti is among its leading members.
Prominent speakers from across the frozen food and cold chain logistics industries, including executives from Americold, Apetito, Iceland, Jodifrost, Lineage, and Nature’s Touch, joined academic and market research experts from institutions such as Europanel and Wageningen University. Their presentations covered topics ranging from global trade and food safety to consumer trends, climate protection, and sustainability.
Suvan Sharma of the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI), Rupert Ashby of the British Frozen Food Federation (BFFF), and Julie Hanson summarized the conference’s key takeaways. They stressed that frozen food is an essential component of sustainable food security, particularly because it helps reduce food waste through robust cold chain systems. They also called for closer cooperation among industry, policymakers, and scientists to educate consumers about the benefits of frozen products and dispel persistent misconceptions.
The speakers underscored the importance of harmonizing regulations and improving data and knowledge exchange among nations to enhance resilience, competitiveness, and public acceptance of frozen foods. “We invite politics, business, science and civil society to work together on informed consumer decisions, fair framework conditions and efficient, transparent cold chains – so that frozen food can develop its full potential for safety, sustainability and enjoyment,” the three representatives said in their closing remarks.
The International Frozen Food Network includes leading organizations from the USA, UK, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Turkey, and Austria. Members comprise the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI), British Frozen Food Federation (BFFF), German Frozen Food Institute (dti), Fachverband der Lebensmittelindustrie (Austria), Frozen España (Spain), Frozen Food Association of Türkiye (DGD), Pact’ Alim (France), PROFEL – European Association of Fruit and Vegetable Processors, Unione Nazionale de Alimenti Surgelati (UNAS, Italy), and VriesVers Platform (Netherlands).
Find out more at: https://www.tiefkuehlkost.de/