Consumer Agency: "Convenience Store Door-Type Refrigerators Are Efficient for Energy Saving"

Energy Efficiency of Open Refrigerated Display Cases Declines

The Korea Consumer Agency announced on the 6th that a survey conducted with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on the management status of refrigerated temperatures in convenience store outlets revealed significant temperature variations in open-type refrigerated display cases. The survey targeted 60 stores from five convenience store brands, including CU and GS25. Based on the survey results, the Consumer Agency suggested that to improve food quality and management efficiency, it is necessary to install doors on open-type refrigerated display cases for better control.

According to the Consumer Agency, the temperature of 534 food items such as milk stored in open-type refrigerated display cases at the surveyed convenience stores was 6.9℃, while the temperature of 295 food items such as carbonated drinks and bottled water stored in door-type refrigerators with openable doors averaged 7.7℃. Additionally, 93.3% (56 units) of the open-type refrigerated display cases were set at 5.0℃ or below, with 53.3% (32 units) set at 3.0℃ or below. In contrast, 75.0% (42 units) of the 56 door-type refrigerators were set at 5.0℃ or below, and 41.1% (23 units) were set at 3.0℃ or below.

As part of the 'Refrigerator Door Installation' pilot project, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety set the temperatures of open-type refrigerated display cases and door-type refrigerators to 10.0℃ and 5.0℃ under summer conditions and compared the electricity consumption for each setting. The results showed that when the refrigeration temperature was set to 5.0℃, the electricity consumption of door-type refrigerators was only 34.7% of that of open-type refrigerated display cases. The Consumer Agency explained that if doors capable of blocking outside air, like those on door-type refrigerators, were installed on the open-type refrigerated display cases in approximately 52,000 franchise convenience stores nationwide, about 730,403 MWh of electrical energy could be saved annually, which corresponds to the electricity consumption of about 70,000 people for one year.

Based on this survey result, the Consumer Agency plans to request distribution and sales businesses, including convenience stores, through the regular business council to maintain stable temperature management for the safety of distributed and sold food products. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety will also ask distribution companies operating food stores to participate in the project to convert open-type refrigerators to door-type refrigerators.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.