Dubai, UAE: Consultant Thomas Eskesen, who worked for Maersk for 30 years, has been appointed chair of the Join the Move to -15 deg C, according to RAC Plus.
The initiative is designed to build up a coalition of companies in favour of storing frozen food at -15 deg C, rather than the lower temperature set-point of -18 deg C that is commonly used. The standard of -18C was established in the 1930s and has remained untouched for nearly a century.
Eskesen said: “Frozen food standards have not been updated in almost a century, so they are long overdue for revision. It has been proven that a small temperature increase could have huge benefits, so the coalition’s aim is to act as a conduit by bringing industry together to change what’s possible as the sector looks for viable ways to achieve its shared net zero ambition.”
The coalition was set up in the wake of research into the impact of reducing the recommended industry temperature set point to -15 deg C. The research, carried out by academics at the University of Birmingham, London South Bank University and the International Institute of Refrigeration (IIR), argued that there was a strong economic and environmental case for increasing basic temperature requirements.
Eskesen’s appointment comes as Americold and Holt Logistics signed up to support the campaign. A range of companies already on board include Daikin and the Global Cold Chain Alliance, along with Maersk and Kuehne + Nagel.
Thomas Eskesen is the founder of Eskesen Advisory. He worked for Maersk Line for 30 years – in the last 10 years of his time there he was the global head of the reefer business.
The coalition was set up by Dubai-based logistics group DP World.
