Epta proposes Costan-branded GranOntario and GranDrake solutions for frozen foods  

Epta is expanding its offering for frozen products, which continue to play a leading role in Italians’ food choices and are excellent allies in the fight against waste. Specifically, to meet the needs of the Gdo, Epta is proposing the GranOntario and GranDrake ranges of freezer islands from Costan’s GranFit family.

The report on frozen product consumption highlights over one million tonnes of frozen products consumed in 2023 (1.16.358), with slight growth in volume compared with 2022 (+0,14%). The analysis also records a new all-time high in annual per-capita consumption which, for the first time, exceeds the threshold of 17 kilograms, reaching 17,2 (+2,4% vs. 2022), with a market value of 5,8 billion euros, up from over 5,4 billion in the previous year (+6,5%).

These results are attributable to the qualities of frozen products, including convenience, nutritional similarity to fresh products and economic value, as recognised by most consumers.

The fight against food waste, which according to Fao data amounts worldwide to 1,3 billion tonnes every year, equivalent to around one third of the annual production of food intended for human consumption, represents not only an economic but also a social challenge, which could also be curbed by increasing consumption of deep-frozen foods. According to a study by Sheffield Hallam University, consuming them at home instead of fresh products could in fact reduce waste by 47%.

This estimate is based on the actual waste-saving characteristics of frozen products: a long shelf life, efficient portioning, reduced preparation times and almost non-existent waste make this type of product responsible for “only” 2,6% of total individual waste, calculated at 13 grams per week.

In this scenario, the GranOntario and GranDrake negative horizontal freezers from the Costan-branded GranFit range, respectively with a double basin and a single basin, enable the creation of unique sales formats in the frozen-food department of every store, making it possible to experiment with layouts based on unprecedented combinations, thanks to flexible and customisable display capacities.

Compared with previous models, GranOntario and GranDrake stand out for their greater display capacity and internal temperature stability, ensuring maximum energy savings.

The cornerstone of the new range is transparency: the special glass structure guarantees 100% visibility of the products on display, compared with 64% achieved by previous models, maximising their attractiveness and profitability. The distinctive “total glass” effect, combined with the loading line positioned at 435 mm and the reduced number of sliding rails, also enables an increase in the 8,75% of products on display compared with the Tortuga Ultra model, with the same floor footprint.

The panoramic glazing of these models and the head unit with rounded shapes make the aesthetics of GranOntario and GranDrake perfectly coordinated with the family feeling of the GranFit range.

The toughened glass panels – anti-condensation, with a low reflection factor and low emissivity, thereby reducing cold loss – together with optimisation of the rotation of the digital fans at 24V and of the anti-condensation heater on the glass frames, ensure an improvement in the energy class from E to D, for a reduction in energy consumption of 24%. Finally, the minimalist and ergonomic design is also reflected in the anti-entrapment device on the push-open covers and the handrail positioned 860 mm above the ground.

“Not just structural innovations: the GranOntario and GranDrake negative horizontal freezers are also the first freezer islands belonging to the remote units to be equipped as standard with the SwitchOn digital diagnostics platform,” says Alice Ferrari, head of product marketing at Epta. “Predictive maintenance algorithms, remote monitoring of individual components and parameters such as temperature, humidity and defrosting, as well as fault reporting and guidance through troubleshooting processes, are additional benefits of SwitchOn included in Epta’s LifeCycle Program, guaranteeing the perfect preservation of frozen products.”

This article was translated from the original Italian version with the assistance of artificial intelligence. In case of discrepancies, please refer to the original Italian version.