Caterers’ guide to new EU labelling laws

EUROPE: The UK’s Catering Equipment Suppliers Association (CESA) has produced an explanatory guide to new energy labelling being introduced on refrigeration equipment from next month.

The guide, available exclusively from the Cooling Post, explains what catering equipment buyers need to know about the EU’s new Energy Labelling and Ecodesign Directives.

From July 1, commercial catering equipment will be brought in line with the energy labelling directives already applied to domestic fridges. In time, the new directives will be applied across all catering equipment.

“Energy efficiency has become a critical issue for catering equipment manufacturers in recent years,” said Simon Frost, chair of CESA. “This new guide provides an understanding and down-to-earth explanations about the new tests and the labelling.

“The Directives will be important for any catering equipment buyer or specifier. They will make it possible to accurately compare running and overall lifetime costs of different models.”

The first category of equipment to be made subject of the new Directives is refrigeration, specifically designated as Professional Refrigerated Storage Cabinets (PRSCs). This covers both counters and single or double upright cabinets. From the July 1 all PRSCs sold in Europe will have to be tested within the framework of the Ecodesign Directives, and will carry labels displaying their energy efficiency.

While PRSCs are the first category of equipment to be covered by the new Directives, work has already begun on other refrigeration categories, along with ovens and warewashers. Currently no firm timelines for these new categories have been established.

The new guide can be downloaded here.