Natural Refrigerants Spark Aussie Traceability Knowing where product came from and how it got here is vital to a robust supply chain. your supply chain. 6 www.foodtechnology.co.nz 0800 102 356 HM058 Kiwi food and beverage industry leaders are being urged to support one of the world’s most important food industry organisations in a battle over natural refrigerant based technology. The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF), comprised of more than 400 organisations involved in food manufacturing and retailing in Australia, is locked in a row with a group of supporters of synthetic refrigerant suppliers and users. Just as Australia announced that it will phase down HFC refrigerants by 85% and conduct a review of the underpinning legislation, a group of objectors took their argument to the press, dismaying Forum president Tim Edwards. “What has been a conflict behind the closed doors of government consultation is now available to everyone,” he says. “I urge New Zealand food and beverage industry players to get behind us, as this is a critical global issue.” Edwards says the Forum - which includes heavyweights such as Woolworths, Metcash, Unilever, Kraft, Nestle, Coca Cola, Pepsi, Red Bull, Heineken and SAB Miller (Fosters) – has a combined member global revenue of more than $3.75 trillion each year. “Obviously these companies need to know how to optimise their refrigeration systems,” Edwards says. “They have made a clear commitment to sustainability, and particularly climate change mitigation/emissions reduction. “We have recently released a refrigeration policy that says we are taking our display cabinet refrigeration to hydrocarbon and carbon dioxide-based refrigeration systems, and our supermarket refrigeration systems to a range of natural refrigerant-based technologies. “Our members have no direct interest in selling refrigeration equipment. They are users. They care about the energy efficiency and emissions of their refrigeration systems, but they do not sell or profit from refrigeration excepting as users. Many of the drinks manufacturers care because they play a major role in providing refrigeration equipment to their customers. They have to get it right. The Forum says natural refrigerant-based technology is better in every way. There are about 1.2 million commercial and industrial refrigeration installations in Australia and for many of the businesses involved, refrigeration is ‘mission critical’. “The vast majority of these refrigeration systems are candidates for conversion to natural refrigeration based technology. “Forum members in general had little to say about safety because, despite the misrepresentation from synthetic refrigerant industry proponents, there is not a safety issue. Natural refrigerant-based refrigeration systems can and are being used safely and broadly.” N E W S BICKERING “What has been a conflict behind the closed doors of government consultation is now available to everyone,”
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