Atmosphere Controlled Cold Storage

In a global fruit industry that is growing rapidly with technology, maintaining the quality and freshness of harvested fruit is of utmost importance. Atmosphere-controlled cold storage technology has been of great importance in this regard. It has allowed growers, distributors, and consumers to store fruit for very long periods of time in a way that is not only visually appealing but also nutritionally sound.

It is a sophisticated way of preserving fruit by regulating temperature, humidity, and gas composition within storage rooms. Unlike traditional cold storage, which focuses only on temperature control, it allows the environmental factors that affect fruit quality to be controlled by technology. Its main objectives are to prevent fruit ripening, stop aging, and preserve fruit freshness over a long period of time.

Temperature Control: Maintaining a certain low temperature is the basis of the system. This low temperature dampens metabolic processes inside the fruit, virtually halting respiration rates and enzymatic activity.

Humidity Control: Maintaining the right humidity levels prevents moisture loss from fruit and thus preserves their texture and appearance. Controlled humidity protects against drying and wilting.

Gas Composition Control: Oxygen (O2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in atmosphere-controlled cold storage rooms are carefully managed. Reducing oxygen levels and increasing carbon dioxide levels slows fruit respiration and ethylene production, delaying fruit ripening.

Ethylene Cleaning: Ethylene is a natural plant hormone and an important component responsible for the ripening of fruits. Atmosphere control technology often includes ethylene cleaning systems to remove excess ethylene from the storage environment.

Extending Shelf Life: Atmosphere control technology maximizes the shelf life of fruit, allowing fruit to be stored for months without spoilage. This prolonged freshness increases the economic sustainability of fruit production by reducing waste to producers and consumers.

Reducing Post-Harvest Losses: By eliminating spoilage, it eliminates post-harvest losses and prevents economic damage to fruit production due to spoilage caused by storage conditions. Atmosphere control allows fruits to be stored beyond their natural harvest season. This makes it possible to consume fruit varieties even out of season.

Atmosphere Control: The system requires a large investment in technological details and infrastructure. It needs to be continuously monitored and controlled to keep the levels at the right values. Ethylene cleaning systems need regular maintenance. Temperature, humidity, and gas composition must be adjusted for different fruit varieties.