Since 2009, Frozen Food Europe has addressed the subject of “Sustainability” and therefore has contributed in delving into this subject with the cooks all over Europe. Many foodservice professionals have recognized the significance and acted accordingly, some comprehensively, others less intense – but each contribution is welcomed.
In comparison to 2009, sustainability means much more today than to save energy or to handle water responsibly, even if both of these resources are still of central importance.
As the graphic shows, profitability, social competence, and the awareness for a sound environment constitute the scope of our actions. All three influencing factors are connected closer than many people believe – even in canteen kitchens. Then only in a sound environment, are companies able to develop positively long-term and make profits, which they are able to reinvest in resource-friendly equipment.
Only whoever demonstrates social competence within and outside of his business, will get good employees, who he can motivate to sustainable actions – especially at their place of work, perhaps also privately. In spite of all the progress made, there still is a lot to do in all European countries. That’s why the subject “sustainable cooking in gastronomy & large-scale catering” has to be delved into further. For this reason, we are addressing it in this magazine again and describe first how the emission of green-house gases and the use of water influence the environment.
Footprints: less pressure improves the environment
Almost every type of human behavior leaves marks, so-called footprints. If we want to avoid them, we have to stop every economic activity. That is not only totally unrealistic, but it also doesn’t make any sense because every type of living together with people is based on activity. But the question is how aware are we acting and are we able to put into practice a mix between severe and less severe burdensome action. Nature, similar to our bodies, needs a time-out again and again in order to regenerate. While kitchen professionals create their range of dishes accordingly, they can support this regeneration.
For some time, different footprints are measured, which are all more or less complex. For professional kitchens, the CO2 and the water imprint are of particular importance. The first one measures the pollution of the earth’s atmosphere by the emission of harmful greenhouse gases, which, for example, comes from fattening cattle and pigs. The effect comes from feeding animals and with cattle, additionally from their digestion. Not insignificant are the emissions from agricultural land as a result of nitrate fertilization.
Water footprints: direct and indirect
Water is one of the most limited resources in the world. In many regions, people need it urgently to survive, whereas other societies treat this raw material in comparison carelessly. The water footprint of a country, also called “virtual water”, consists of two parts, the direct and indirect. The direct part records the use of water from the tap, be it at home for cooking, drinking, cleaning or washing, as well as that which is needed in the production of goods; the indirect part measures each amount of water, which is used for imported or exported goods. An example is supposed to clarify this: in one country, a lot of foodstuffs, which contain meat are consumed. In order to be able to fatten the animals, which it delivers, fodder is necessary, which is often cultivated water-intensive abroad and often overseas. In order to produce one kilogram of pork or beef, 4.8 respectively 15.5 m3 water has to be used, for example, in the entire process chain. Due to the fact that almost three times more pork is consumed in the EU than beef, the water footprint, which the citizens in the Union leave behind, is considerable. The values will be different from country to country, but at least they may be similar in central and northern Europe. Whoever would like to improve both footprints in the dishes they offer, is facing a real challenge.
Climate Plates reduce CO2-footprints
For the CO2-footprint, there is at least an example, how it can be successful with regard to the emission of greenhouse gases. Students, doctoral candidates, and climate researchers have founded in 2011 the initiative “Klimateller” (climate plate) in the north German city of Hamburg, which is funded by the city administration and other sponsors. The group calculates the emission values of food on the basis of CO2-equivalents and stores it in a data bank; additionally it has developed an emissions calculator with which the volume of emitted greenhouse gases of a meal can be calculated. Presently, 11 partially very large companies are affiliated with the climate initiative and sell together 43,000 emission-friendly meals, with which they save just under 800 tons of CO2 equivalents. In the meantime, there are also partner projects in Brazilian São Paulo and in another Germany city.
ENAK – a comprehensive data bank
Kitchen professionals can improve the environment by processing environment-friendly produced foodstuffs. Moreover, they can buy resource-friendly equipment, but are often facing the problem that they can only compare the information from manufacturers. In any case, it makes sense to ask colleagues, technical planers, and dealers for kitchen technology, who have gathered experience with different producers. At the same time, a chef de cuisine, who is willing to invest, is well-advised, if he also gets an idea of how close the connection between an adviser and a manufacturer is. If the kitchen planer can prove that he has installed equipment of different manufacturers in the objects, which he has realized, then he gains much more credibility than a colleague, who has installed the same product time and again for the last 20 years; with the last one a certain amount of caution is indicated.
In some countries, data banks are setup, which should make a comparison of the equipment of different manufacturers easier. The Pioneer is the Swiss ENAK, which has dealt with this subject since 1995. It maintains a data bank and gives the licenses for its use. For manufacturers who would like to incorporate their devices into this data bank, ENAK sets a standard measurement system, which it can check. The German specialist kitchen planner Alfred Müller sees the benefits of the ENAK data sheets especially in the fact that different scenarios are run through with the measurements. Recorded, for example, is how long a cooling appliance needs, in order to reach its operating temperature after the door has been open and closed in certain cycles. During the measurement process, different outside temperatures, alternative degrees of humidity or different chilled goods are considered, among other things. Alfred Müller emphasizes, in particular, that the users are able to measure the stored values individually.
Then the highest energy efficiency is not always decisive as two examples show: A kitchen needs a thermal piece of equipment, which provides its maximum performance in the shortest period of time. Possibly, it consumes more energy than another that reacts more sluggishly. Or a refrigerator with a hinged door consumes less energy than one with drawers. But if the space available requires that type, then it must be installed.
ENAK Licensees can access the program ENAK tech in the English or German language and use the following functions:
• Download documents, forms, recipes, and current topics
• Compare the costs of different devices based on a device master, which is comprehensive and looked-after by ENAK
• Record one’s own devices and include them in the cost comparison
• Calculate energy costs of projects
• Download test definitions and data sheets for the invitation to bid
New Devices and Units
The most important savings potentials of a large-scale kitchen are the dishwashers, ventilation systems, hot air and baking ovens, cooking stoves, and kettles, tilting frying pans, large grills, deep-fat fryers, and blast chillers/shock freezers. The consumption of resources, be it energy, water, cleaning chemicals for dishwashing or others, is at the same time just as important as their efficient use. Best examples for this are devices, during their use, waste heat arises. Inefficient systems discharge it unused into the air. On the other hand, modern thermal devices and dishwashers can be equipped with modules for recovery of heat. Combi steamers preheat the water for steaming up to 70° C with it and dishwashers heat up the cold inflow with it. In both cases, only a small amount of warm drainage escapes; in contrast to earlier times it doesn’t heat up the kitchen anymore and that’s why the exhaust air systems can be dimensioned less. Alfred Müller estimates the savings potential in a large-scale kitchen with modern technology in comparison to one, which works with equipment that was purchased many years ago to 10 up to 15%.
Cooling Technology
Insulation is important with all devices and systems, especially with refrigerators/cold stores and blast chillers/shock freezers. They have to be not only highly efficient, but also have to consist of environmental-friendly material. The location of the device also has an effect on the energy consumption. A good place is far away from heaters or devices that emit heat and is dust-free; the same goes for external cooling devices, with which one has to still take noise emission into consideration.
With cooling technology, serious changes are pending. After January 1, 2020, refrigerants for refrigerators and freezers in commercial use (closed airtight) have to be converted with a GWP larger or the same of 2,500, with a GWP larger or the same of 150 after January 1, 2022. The legal basis for this regulation is the so-called F-Gas-Regulation No. 842/2006 of the European Commission, which would like to reduce less degradable and therefore especially environmentally-unfriendly hydrofluorocarbons, which are contained in many refrigerants and replace them with environmentally-friendlier substances.
Finally the savings potential is in the hands of the employees, at least as long as all of the processes of a professional kitchen run automatically controlled. If the employees are trained well with the handling of devices and are therefore secure, then they can influence the use of resources positively by an environmentally compatible handling. The manufacturers support the kitchen professionals with the relevant training courses, training on the job, and with information material.