Introduction to F-Gases

Fluorinated gases, or ‘f-gases’, are a family of man-made gaseous compounds that contain fluorine. They are used in a range of different applications including cleaning products, aerosols, air-conditioning and, specifically relevant to the frozen food industry, refrigeration and chilling.

F-gases are comprised of:

• Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)
• Perfluorocabons (PFCs)
• Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6)

HFCs are the main gases used today in refrigeration. They are a substitution for hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), which were historically used as refrigerants before the Montreal Protocol. HCFCs are powerful greenhouse gases that are classified as ‘ozone-depleting substances’ (ODS). The Montreal Protocol is an environmental agreement set up to phase out the production and consumption of these ODS, to prevent further destruction to the ozone and protect the environment from harmful ultraviolet rays.

HFCs were introduced as an alternative to HCFCs because they are non-ODS however, they are also greenhouse gases with a high global warming potential (GWP). GWP is a unit of measure that was created to allow direct comparison of global warming impacts between different gases. It quantifies how much energy one unit of a specific GHG will absorb relative to one unit of carbon dioxide, over a certain period of time. The universal unit of measurement to indicate GWP is therefore called carbon dioxide equivalents (CO₂e).

Having a high GWP means that even a small amount of HFC emissions will contribute towards global warming. Therefore, it is important that HFC emissions are properly recorded and reported to enable companies to monitor and reduce HFC releases.

Reporting Fugitive Emissions

Fugitive emissions is the term used to describe both intentional and unintentional greenhouse gas releases. This includes HFC emissions as a result of leakage over the operational life of a refrigerator and from disposal at the end of a refrigerators lifecycle.

According to the GHG Protocol, fugitive emissions should be included within a company’s GHG Inventory and can be applicable to Scope 1 (direct) and Scope 3 (indirect) emissions. Scope 1 includes emissions from sources a company owns, or controls and Scope 3 covers emissions from the value chain, outside of the ownership or control of a company.

For example, a supermarket ‘Alpha’ owns a number of freezers to store frozen food. Leakage from these units would fall within their Scope 1 reporting. Alpha purchases this food from a third-party supplier that freezes the food then delivers it, using a refrigerated vehicle, to the shop. The leakage associated with freezing and transporting the food would be included in Alpha’s Scope 3 reporting. Alpha would also be required to report f-gases contained within any freezers they dispose of during their reporting year, under Scope 1.

F-Gas Data

To report f-gas leakage, companies need to calculate the total amount of gas (kg) replaced in their equipment over the reporting year, per gas type. This is assumed to be equal to the quantity of leaked gas. The relevant data can be found in records or invoices from the HVAC or chiller maintenance company, which should contain the amount and type of f-gas used.

It is important to record gas types separately, as they each have different global warming impacts. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Climate Change document contains the full list of f-gases and their GWPs, which can be used to convert the quantity of gas into CO₂e. These are the conversion factors accepted by the GHG Protocol for GHG reporting and are the same figures used by their own GHG Emissions Calculation Tool (based on a GWP 100-year time horizon).

Any equipment that is disposed of during the reporting year should also be taken into consideration as part of the GHG inventory. F-gases from retired equipment must be recovered either by a qualified technician or licensed waste facility. The recovered gas is then reclaimed, recycled or destroyed, depending on economic viability and government requirements. Records should be available from the technician or waste facility, to enable companies to record the quantity of f-gas recovered and how it has been disposed of.

Government Record-Keeping Requirements

The GHG Protocol requires that all f-gases released into the atmosphere are reported, under fugitive emissions. Many companies should already have records of their f-gas emissions, as a result of the UK government record-keeping requirements.

The EA and DEFRA guidance states that anyone who operates or services specific equipment containing f-gases needs to keep records about the quantity and type of gas at the beginning, during and end of the equipment’s life, as well as relevant inspection dates.

It is important to note that government record-keeping requirements do not extend to all f-gas equipment; smaller units do not require the same rigorous documentation as those that contain f-gas equivalent to 5 tCO₂e or more. However, to ensure complete GHG reporting it is recommended that companies record all fugitive emissions, even for smaller equipment.

 

The Charted Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) announced on 22 December 2021 that fake Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) stickers have prompted the FSA to call for any sightings to be reported.

An investigation found that the “high-quality vinyl stickers” being sold on eBay were proving popular, with one seller having sold 58 from one advert alone, potentially making as much as £500. Other adverts offered buyers versions of the official sticker in a range of different sizes at a similar cost.

Catriona Stewart, Head of Regulatory Standards and Compliance at the Food Standards Agency, said: “Food hygiene rating stickers are issued only by the local authority following an inspection. The sale of stickers by anyone else directly to food businesses is not allowed. Fortunately, this has not been a regular occurrence, but we all need to remain vigilant.

“If you do see stickers being offered for sale, please report this to the FHRS team at hygieneratings@food.gov.uk and we, as holders of the trademark for the stickers, will take immediate action to stop it. The recent listings on eBay were removed as soon as we contacted them.”

The FSA also warned that displaying a false hygiene rating may constitute an offence, and businesses have been successfully prosecuted for doing this in the past.

 

The FSA launched on 6 December 2021 a consultation on the provision of precautionary allergen labelling and precautionary allergen information in England, Northern Ireland, and Wales.

They are seeking feedback and comment on the issues faced by interested parties, which will assist in considering potential approaches for precautionary allergen labelling for prepacked foods and precautionary allergen information for non-prepacked foods, so that the information is:

• communicated more clearly and consistently, in an understandable and meaningful way to consumers, in terms of the form and content of the information
• based on a proportionate and standardised processes for assessing, managing, and communicating the risk of allergen cross-contamination by food businesses

All responses to the consultation must be submitted by 14 March 2021.

Click here to find out more.

In a bid to stop millions of pints of milk being poured down the sink, supermarket Morrisons is going to scrap ‘use by’ dates on 90% of it’s own-brand milk to encourage customers to use a sniff test to check quality.

Morrisons is the first supermarkets to make this move, which starts later this month.

Milk is the third most wasted food and drink product in the UK, after potatoes and bread, with around 490 million pints wasted every year, according to Wrap.

It is estimated that 85 million pints of milk waste could be due to consumers following ‘use by’ labels, even though there is research indicating it can be used days after the date.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) said it was alright to have ‘use by’ or ‘best before’ on milk depending on the processing and type. But there must be clear labelling, and the dates printed on all food and drink must be based on “robust evidence about the product concerned”.

The FSA also pointed out that when dealing with food generally, sniffing is not an appropriate safety test, especially with products that could cause food poisoning.