Fruit cold storage temperature and pre-cooling requirements
Fruit storage is unusual because the correct temperature is species-specific and because chilling injury makes 'colder' actively wrong for several commodities. Field heat removal (pre-cooling) usually dominates the refrigeration duty in packhouses.
| Condition | Indicative temperature | Humidity | Engineering note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chilling-sensitive fruit (e.g. banana, mango, citrus varieties) | +8 to +13 °C | 85–95 % RH | Storing below the species threshold causes chilling injury. |
| Temperate fruit (e.g. apple, pear, stone fruit) | 0 to +4 °C | 90–95 % RH | Controlled-atmosphere storage extends season for some varieties. |
| Berries and soft fruit | 0 to +2 °C | 90–95 % RH | Rapid pre-cooling is critical to shelf life. |
| Pre-cooling duty | Design case, not a holding setpoint | n/a | Sized on field heat, tonnage per day and target pull-down time. |
Values are indicative planning ranges used for early-stage refrigeration sizing and procurement. They do not replace product-specific food-safety, pharmaceutical, regulatory or customer requirements, which take precedence in every case. Confirm final conditions with your quality function and a qualified refrigeration engineer.
Refrigeration engineering considerations
Pre-cooling is a separate duty
Removing field heat within hours requires far more capacity than holding fruit at temperature. Forced-air, hydro- or vacuum cooling should be scoped explicitly.
Chilling injury
Each species has a minimum safe temperature. Multi-commodity packhouses therefore need zoning rather than a single setpoint.
Humidity and weight loss
High relative humidity limits moisture loss; coil sizing and temperature difference across the evaporator drive this.
Ethylene management
Ethylene-producing and ethylene-sensitive commodities should be separated, with ventilation or scrubbing where required.
Seasonality
Harvest peaks mean the plant must be sized for a short, intense season, which changes both capacity and energy strategy.
From temperature to system requirement
- 1. Confirm the storage condition for your product and market.
- 2. Size the room — cold room size calculator.
- 3. Calculate the refrigeration duty — refrigeration load calculator.
- 4. Check operating cost — electricity cost calculator.
- 5. Send one brief to vetted suppliers — build an RFQ.
A senior cold-chain specialist stays with your project from first brief to commissioning.
Related
Frequently asked
One brief, comparable quotes from vetted cold storage suppliers and EPCs.