Unilever has revealed that it will grant a free, non-exclusive license to the ice cream industry for 12 reformulation patents following the success of two pilots to warm up its last-mile ice cream freezer cabinets.
Access to these patents is aimed at helping the industry reformulate ice cream products that remain stable at the warmer freezer temperature of -12°C, rather than the current industry standard of -18°C. Unilever said it hopes that by sharing these patents with other ice cream manufacturers, the industry will be able to move towards more energy-efficient freezer cabinets across the globe.
Emissions from retail ice cream freezers account for 10% of Unilever’s value chain greenhouse gas footprint. Last year, the company announced its ambition to increase the temperature of its last-mile ice cream freezer cabinets while ensuring the same ice cream quality. Since then, research conducted at Colworth, Unilever’s Global Ice Cream R&D Centre and two pilots in Germany have confirmed an energy reduction of around 25% per freezer cabinet at the warmer temperature of -12°C, which is better for the environment, and means the freezers are cheaper to run.
Andy Sztehlo, Chief R&D Officer Ice Cream at Unilever, commented: “We’re pleased to take this next step in our work to increase the temperature of our last mile ice cream freezer cabinets. By granting a free non-exclusive license to these 12 reformulation patents, we hope our peers and partners from across the ice cream sector will benefit and work to tackle emissions across the industry.
“We believe through collaboration, we can reduce the cold chain’s impact on the environment, whilst continuing to deliver the great quality ice cream products our consumers love.”Unilever Sharing Reformulation Patents With Ice Cream Industry To Tackle Freezer Emissions
