By Todd Lewys

With life being so fast-paced and busy, we tend to get into our individual routines and give little if any thought to the things around us that allow us to live better, more convenient lives.

One of those things is refrigeration. Day-in, day-out, we rely on it without thinking about it.

It’s just there, fridges and freezers keeping our food from spoiling, and in a conveniently frozen state until we need to use it.

In her book, Frostbite: How Refrigeration Changed Our Food, Our Planet, and Ourselves, journalist and podcaster Nicola Twilley explored the history, science, and consequences of refrigeration.

She will be speaking at Food & Beverage Manitoba’s upcoming Cultivate Conference on March 13, 2025 at the Canad Inns Polo Park in Winnipeg to talk about the benefits – and costs – of the cold chain we’ve created, which extends from the trucks that deliver our food to retailers and our homes.

“I’m not anti-refrigeration at all, but we have to look at what actually happens,” says Twilley, a native of England who currently resides in California. “We need to look at ways to build a better food chain.”

While there’s no question that refrigeration has enabled us to live healthier, more convenient lives, it also has a downside.

And that downside needs to be examined more thoroughly, she notes,

“We need to look at it more closely, create a more nuanced picture of it. In other words, we need to point out its costs, not just its benefits.”

Of course, the main benefit of refrigeration is that it helped – and is still helping – reduce food waste.

According to Twilley, before the advent of refrigeration, 30 to 40 percent of food was thrown away between the farm and market. Refrigeration cut that waste level substantially.

However, while one problem was solved, another one was created.

Today, consumer waste is in the 30 to 40 percent range.

The problem has shifted, with food languishing in fridges and freezers for too long, prompting consumers to throw massive amounts of food away after it spoils or becomes inedible due to freezer burn.

Suffice it to say, refrigeration has become a mixed blessing.

“There’s been a very recent association between freshness and refrigeration – we need to break it,” she says. “It’s not the only way to keep food fresh. There are some ways to keep food fresh without refrigeration.”

The problem is that most people just haven’t thought about it.

“So many consumers have no idea about what it takes to get foods to them. Sometimes, conveniences aren’t better, and sometimes the costs are not worth the benefits.”

In a nutshell, Twilley’s goal is to get people to think about how they get their food.

“We need to look at ways to build a better food chain,” she says. “We need to consider how the current food chain affects our health, labour, the economy, and the environment. People don’t want to have to think about their food. We need to work at changing that.”

And, in the process, changing the current system.

“The reality is that there are different ways to move food around. We need to remake the system to make people and the planet healthier. I’m looking forward to speaking at the conference and to hearing thoughts and questions from the audience.”

Don’t miss the Cultivate Sustainability Conference on March 13, 2025, at Canad Inns Polo Park, Winnipeg! Secure your spot today and join industry leaders in exploring innovative solutions for a sustainable food system.

foodbeveragemb.ca/cultivate