The International Institute of Refrigeration (IIR) has published a new Informatory Note on “The Role of Refrigeration in Worldwide Nutrition” that draws on the latest figures and findings from reputable organizations such as the FAO, the United Nations, and the Global Cold Chain Alliance. As an update of previous versions published by the IIR in November 1996 and June 2009, this Note aims to emphasize the importance of refrigeration by proving that a more efficient cold chain can significantly reduce food losses and thus improve food safety and security in a sustainable way.
According to IIR, over 13% of all food is lost due to a lack of refrigeration. An improved cold chain could feed 950 million inhabitants per year, as more than 1.600 million tons of food is lost and wasted every year. The data also shows 63% of all food losses come from developing countries.
Refrigeration extends the shelf life of food products and thus avoids losses along the supply chain from the farmer or fisherman to the consumer of the food, via transportation, storage, and marketing, a summary of the document states. It is a key element for worldwide food security which also impacts the environment: all these lost foods required water, land, and energy. In this respect, the Note provides a series of recommendations with the aim of supporting efforts at national and international levels to implement appropriate measures in order to fulfill global commitments.