The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the Conservative MP for the local Waveney constituency, Peter Aldous, were among the guests of honour at the official opening of Adande’s new refrigeration test rooms, at Barley Way, Lowestoft, on Friday 8 July.

After unveiling the state-of-the-art research and development facility, the then DEFRA secretary Liz Truss, who was later that month appointed Justice Secretary in a Cabinet reshuffle, said: "The British food and drink industry is leading global innovation right across the food chain. The energy saving technology on show today and Adande’s investment in research and development are fantastic examples of how the sector can become more competitive through reducing its environmental impact."

Peter Aldous added: "The £4.2m investment is a great boost to an already highly successful company. It is great to be here to see this unveiling today and see this company going from strength to strength."

The £500,000 laboratory is part of a £4.2m investment to help Adande, and its consortium partners, accelerate the development and commercialisation of its Aircell technology. Aircell is a patented air flow management system, which has been designed to improve performance and reduce energy consumption of refrigerated displays used in retailing.

Adande’s managing director, Ian Wood, commented: "We have made a significant investment in the design and development of Aircell, with recent laboratory tests and in-store trials bringing the technology within the realms of commercial viability."

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