Cold storage of fruits | CodruST

Cold storage

of fruits

Codru ST offers storage services for horticultural products, providing space in a cold storage warehouse with controlled atmosphere and very low oxygen levels (CA ULO – Controlled Atmosphere / Ultra low oxygen).

We are the first company in the Republic of Moldova that has built and operated a CA ULO storage system for fruits since 2002.

Thermal insulation of refrigeration chambers and the automated climate control system allow fresh fruits to be maintained for a long time. The factors that are controlled inside the refrigeration chambers: temperature, gas level (Oxygen and CO2), atmospheric humidity, and the ethylene concentration resulting from the natural “breathing” process of apples.

In the usual environment, the combination of these factors provokes the process of fruits spoilage, however, by controlling these factors, we can control the shelf life of fruits in their natural state, preserving their taste and attractive appearance.

Advantages of the CA / ULO refrigerated storage warehouse:

  • The quality and native flavor of fruits are preserved for a long time, even up to a year, if technological processes have been respected until storage.
  • Minimum product dehydration due to inhibition of breathing and maturation processes.
  • The advantages of ULO compared to traditional CA technology are the additional reduction (30%) of breathing and metabolism, but even more important, for apples and pears, the control of several important physiological alterations such as bacterial blights, internal rotting and browning.
  • The product meets all international standards and is suitable for export to all international markets.
  • Qualified staff with extensive experience in the field ensures quality control over the entire storing period.

Technological capabilities of the CA/ULO automated system:

  • Storage capacity up to 5000 tons.
  • The control system allows setting, monitoring and control of optimal parameters for keeping the humidity, temperature, oxygen concentration, carbon dioxide, etc. inside the refrigerated storage rooms. Thus, perfect conditions for fruit preservation are created.
  • The system is equipped with specialized generators that provide the refrigerated room with the necessary amount of gases containing the active substance 1-methylcyclopropane (1-MCP). Products containing this active substance have the ability to inhibit the synthesis of ethylene – the growth hormone of orchard products. The gases are sprayed in the air, interacting with the ethylene receptors of the fruit and blocking them for the storage period of the fruit in the cold warehouse. Thus, the ripening of the fruit is stopped and is normally activated only after the products leave the refrigeration area.

ULO – Ultra Low Oxigen, and

CA – Controlled Atmosphere.

This storage method creates an atmosphere with low oxygen content (about 1%), increased CO2 content and product-dependent temperature and humidity in the gas-tight cooling cell. This reduces maturation and thus prolongs the shelf life. Conservation takes place in gas-tight cooling cells and is used to store fruit. For a successful conservation, an absolutely gas-resistant space is required. The door is a critical part of this.