You have probably heard people say that you can save energy and money at home by turning off your fridge for short periods. As the thinking goes, both your refrigerator and freezer are well insulated to the point that they can maintain a constant temperature for a time even while turned off or unplugged. Believe it or not, the same thinking is beginning to make its way to commercial refrigeration. However, it is faulty thinking that should be ignored.
An outbreak of avian influenza (bird flu) this past November (2014) has resulted in a slower export market for spent hens, as importing countries are being especially cautious with the poultry meat products brought in to their markets. The current conditions have led to falling prices and increased demand for temporary refrigeration at processing plants and wholesale distribution outlets.
The difficulty with raw milk is the fact that it contains the natural bacteria present in the animals producing it. While this natural bacteria is not necessarily harmful in and of itself, it can become harmful if it is allowed to multiply. In addition, poor hygiene practices at the local level can introduce additional bacteria that could be harmful. Proper cold storage can prevent such contaminants from proliferating in raw milk supplies.
The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has issued a new consultation regarding leak-checking standards for refrigeration systems in light of stiffer F-Gas regulations for 2015. The consultation suggests that as many as 425,000 new refrigeration systems will have to undergo changes in their leak checking regimes. Furthermore, equipment owners will be required to set up a system for monitoring potential leaks in the future.